Jungle Rot
by wildfire-sky05
Summary: Relena has found herself lost in the middle of the Amazon, stuck with an unresponsive Heero Yuy. On top of no food, the heat, and the wildlife, they begin to realize that rescue is nothing but a luxury.
1. Chapter 1

**_Jungle Rot_**

**_By: Wildfire Sky_**

_Relena finds herself lost in the Amazon jungle, without food, fresh water, clean underwear (just kidding), and worst of all: Mr. I-Can-Do-It-All Heero Yuy. HxR, some strong language. Influenced by "In Your Wildest Dreams". Please R&R like a good reader should!_

**_Jungle Rot_**

**_Chapter One

* * *

_**

Relena shuffled the stack of papers in front of her aimlessly, concentrating on organizing her speech notes and preparing herself for the long opening ceremonies awaiting her. With her influences, the President of the ESUN had decidedly increased the funding to the Preventers organization, allowing for the opening of two bases for the formerly neglected South America, located in the cities of Buenos Aires and Georgetown. The move was more of a benefit to the President than motivation to reduce terrorism and rebellious groups for South America was, at the moment, a haven for terrorist cells and factions none too settled with the prospects of peace.

A slight bump in movement caused Relena to tear her eyes away from the papers and glance through the small window next to her. The darkness and rain obscured any view she might have of the jungle they were currently flying over on their way from Georgetown to Buenos Aires; however, the turbulence would have made it hard to enjoy anything at the moment. Snatching at the papers that threatened to spill with the next bump, she reached over, sliding the window blind closed. Her stomach could barely take the sensations and seeing the tiny light at the end of the wing go up and down was more than she could handle.

_This is why I hate flying...especially in propeller planes..._

"Is everything alright Vice Foreign Minister?"

Relena looked up at the stewardess, forcing a smile on her face. "Yes...everything is fine, thank you."

The stewardess smiled with a brief nod of her head. "The captain apologies for the bumpiness and he's currently rising above the storm. No need to panic at all. In the mean time, can I get you anything to drink?"

_The plane is flying through a storm and you're offering me a drink? What kind of stewardess _are_ you?_

She then noticed the slight shaking of the woman's clasped hands and immediately regretted her precious thoughts. Obviously, the poor girl was just as shaken as she was, if not more so being practically new to the job. The other stewardess had a sudden onset of the common cold the morning of her flight and the young girl was brought in on emergency practically right out of training in Georgetown.

"No, I'm fine," Relena said gently, "Perhaps you should sit down until the plane stops bumping."

The stewardess instantly flushed at her forgetfulness, muttering apologies as she retreated to the back of the private plane and strapped herself in. Relena also tightened her seatbelt, leaning back against the headrest and closing her eyes.

"You're remarkably calm." Said a gruff voice next to her. Relena opened her eyes and watched as Heero planted himself in the chair next to her, also buckling himself in. If Relena hadn't known him any better, she would have said he looked anxious, but Heero didn't get anxious, or at least, didn't show that he was. He was dressed in jeans and a green t-shirt, a much needed improvement from his infatuation with tank tops, his Preventers jacket snuggling fitting on his shoulders, crisp and clean as was always expected from him. In comparison to her business suit, he was obviously the more comfortable of the two. Luckily, she'd packed a bag of jeans and a blouse herself, just in case she happened to have some free time after this.

"Something wrong?" Relena asked, searching his face for a reaction, "The stewardess looked worried."

Heero grunted, not answering her question directly, but giving her enough information, namely that she should sit back, shut up, and let him handle things. Her eyes narrowed and she flopped back in her chair in a huff, crossing her arms. When even that didn't get a reaction from Heero, she lamely kicked the chair in front of her.

"What are you doing?" Heero growled, his voice annoyed.

"You're not answering my question!" Relena snapped back, giving the chair another kick. She froze as his hand clamped down on her leg, halting her abuse of the expensive backing and sending sparks shooting up through her body. "Heero..."

He removed his hand, frowning at her. "You're acting childish. If there was something wrong, I would tell you."

Relena's tempered flared. "I'm a child, am I? You're the one who goes around grunting and glaring at everything that moves. And you haven't said anything referring to my well-being since we left for Georgetown."

"You're always next to me. There's no point in asking."

Eyes narrowed, Relena snatched at her belt buckle, preparing to leave her seat.

"Where do you think you're going?" Heero growled, glaring at her as if he was daring her to move from the safety of his attention.

Relena let out an exasperated sigh, flinging the belt from across her waist and managing to whack Heero's knuckles. Ignoring the increased glare, she stood up, hands on her hips as she faced him. "I, Mr. Heero Yuy, am going to the restroom, if that's alright with you."

"It's not. Sit down."

The tone of his voice was almost hurtful, not to mention insulting, by the way he said it so impassively, not bothering to give her a second glance as if he knew she would obey his every command. And, as embarrassing as it was, she usually did...because she knew, deep down in that black heart of his, he genuinely cared about her.

_But not this time you self-centered jerk..._

Relena began to move, trying to step over Heero's legs in an attempt to get to the aisle. Heero refused to move, instead grabbing her arm and trying to for her down. Relena, in her own attempt to get away from him, jerked her arm back to break his solid grip.

"Heero! Let me _go_!"

"I told you to sit down!"

"No, I have to go to the restroom!"

"Relena..." Heero snarled, his temper flaring. "Sit _down!_"

Shocked as his raised voice, Relena froze and stared at him, a hurt look crossing her face. Heero instantly regretted his harshness, but for her safety she had to remain seated. He said her name again, almost apologetically, but Relena was infuriated. Snatching her arm back from his lack grip, she stood there in front of him, angrily glaring down.

"Heero. I'm going to the restroom. Move."

"Relena," Heero said quietly, "I can't let you..."

"Damn it Heero! Move right now or I'll---"

Her words were cut off as the plane suddenly jerked up, tossing Relena from the ground and connecting her head with the underside of the cabin bins. With a pained cry she slumped back down to the floor, clutching her bleeding head. Heero was instantly out of his seat, crouching down next to Relena, asking if she was all right. The tears streaming down her face were the answer to such an obviously stupid question, and Heero cupped her face, lifting it up to his own.

"Relena?" He asked, "Relena, can you understand me? Where does it hurt on your head?"

Relena mumbled something incoherent, and she slumped against him. Heero lifted her from his chest and deposited her limp form on the seat, buckling her in. When he turned to call for the stewardess, he found she was already there, a horrified look on her face.

"She's fine," Heero assured her, not wanting to deal with a panicked woman, "Go find some ice and a first aid kit."

The stewardess looked at him in confusion. "But, sir, where are you going?"

Heero glared at her. "To talk to the captain. I'll be back."

Striding quickly to the front, Heero jerked open the door that separated the cockpit from the cabin. A bright, sudden flash nearly blinded him, causing Heero to pause in his angry approach. When the dots cleared from his vision, he saw the co-pilot and the captain staring back at him as if he had no business there.

"Senor, you must return to your seat and strap yourself in." The co-pilot said in heavily accented English. "We are traveling through a very powerful storm and it is impeccable that you sit down."

Heero glared at him. "How bad is the storm?"

The pilots glanced at each other. Finally, the co-pilot nodded towards the rain slicked windshield. "It is the rainy season, senor, the weather over the Amazon is most bad at this time of year. The storm was not supposed to hit for another day but these things are unpredictable."

"Why didn't you fly around it? Or go over the storm?"

"Like I said, senor, these storms are unpredictable. We didn't know the direction and at this point, flying over it would be impossible."

"Why?" Heero demanded, his patience running thin with each word from the co-pilots mouth.

The co-pilot shook his head solemnly. "The storm is unpredictable. Now please sit down, we will inform you of any new developments. Please, senor...you are not making our jobs any easier."

"Answer my question." Heero growled, taking another step into the cockpit. At his movement, the co-pilot stood up, holding out a hand to stop him.

"Senor, you can not come in here! Return to your seat at once!"

Resisting the urge to deck the man, Heero reluctantly backed away and into the cabin, slamming the door shut behind him. Startled by the sound, the stewardess looked up, lifting a bloody cloth from Relena's head as he approached.

"S-Sir?"

Heero ignored her, brushing past and taking the cloth from the stewardess. "How is she?"

"I...I don't know, sir," she answered honestly, "There's a lot of blood on her head, but I can't tell where it's coming from. Might I recommend a hospital when we land?"

"Yes you may recommend a hospital." Heero snapped bitterly, mocking the young girl. His attention shifted back to Relena as a tiny moan escaped her lips.

"Heero...?" she said, turning towards him. "What happened?"

He pushed her back, dabbing at the blood again. "The pilots are inadequate, that's what happened."

Relena blinked at the angrily tone in his voice, knowing better than to pursue whatever had gotten under his skin. Instead, she closed her eyes at his ministrations, wincing every so often at a prick of pain. Suddenly the cloth was removed, replaced by a cold thing. Relena yelped loudly, jerking away from the coldness.

"Calm down, it's an ice pack."

"Agent Yuy, you might want to sit down, the seatbelt lights are on."

Heero glanced at the girl in annoyance. "They've been on. Go sit down." _She's the last person I want near Relena..._

"Of course, sir. Please put on your seatbelt as well."

Heero sat down, just to satisfy the mother hen hovering over his shoulder. She nodded in satisfaction, retreating to the back seat, but before she could move away, the plane was suddenly rocked to one side, throwing her against the opposite wall. Her hand slapped against the window blinds, retracting it and revealing the outer wing. They watched, captivated, as a bolt of lightning screamed down from the sky, strike the wing directly. Debris was flung from the charred wing, tossed out into space.

Heero unstrapped himself, ignoring Relena's screams. As he headed for the cockpit, the door flew open, revealing a disheveled co-pilot who immediately rushed over to Heero, yammering in quick, choppy Spanish. Not understanding, Heero tried to make his way by.

"No!" the co-pilot cried, pushing at Heero, "You must sit down, we've traveled into the thunderstorm, please sit!"

Heero smacked his hands away. "Where are we?"

"What?" the co-pilot asked, glancing back and forth between Heero and the cockpit. "Where? We are somewhere over the Amazon, that's all I can tell you. Now please sit!" he pushed Heero into his seat, standing over the couple in front of him. "Vice Foreign Minister, we are going to have to return to Columbia for repairs to the engine."

"What's wrong with the engine?" Relena asked, regaining her composure.

"The lightning strike nearly hit the fuel line, but we want to be sure." The co-pilot gave her a nervous smile, "But don't worry, there's little chance that we'll be hit again. After all, lightning never strikes the same place twi---"

Suddenly the entire cabin was filled with a bright white light and then washed in yellow, the heat suddenly spiking. Relena stared in horror before burying her face in Heero's shoulder as the co-pilot was thrown against a chair with a sickening crunch. The captain's voice was calling back from the cockpit.

"Miguel! Miguel! The engine has been hit! Miguel?"

There was a sound like a can begin crushed, the cabin shaking violently as the opposite wall seemed to buckle in on itself. The stewardess groaned, looking up as the wall ripped itself apart. Her eyes locked with Heero's before the entire side of the airplane was torn away, wing and all. The stewardess let out a frightened scream as she was sucked away and into the air. The co-pilot's limp body quickly followed hers.

The plane seemed to be screaming in its own fear as it was plunged into a steep dive, straight into the darkness of the Amazon. Heero instinctively pushed Relena's head between her knees, doing the same himself as he held it down.

The captain hopelessly tried to bring the plane under control and lift the nose to slow the rapid decent. Lifting the nose only slightly, he managed to call in the mayday. He glanced up at the sound of rattling, watching in horror as the front propeller ripped through both the cockpit and his body, and into the cabin behind towards the two unsuspecting passengers.

There was one last jerk before everything came to an instant stop and the plane literally fell apart around the occupants.

* * *

_Yes, it was short, but it's only the first chapter. I usually write longer, but I wanted to get a reaction from the readers before I continued further. Tell me if this might be remotely interesting or if I should give up now and kick myself for daring to intrude in the realm of Gundam Wing. To my readers of "The Guardian" and "Ante-Mortem" they're being finished, but sometimes I get these urges. Peace Out!_


	2. Chapter 2

**_Jungle Rot_**

**_By: Wildfire Sky_**

_Well, people seem to be happy with my fic so far, and I'm glad that you all are. I was worried I'd be called a copy cat, which is the most insulting thing that could be said to an author. Anyways, without further ado, I present chapter two of "Jungle Rot" and the forgotten disclaimer._

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.**_

**_A/N: Make a few mistakes including a HUGE mathmatical error. For those of you who don't know, 5+6 11, NOT 9. Heh heh...my bad..._**

_**Jungle Rot**_

_**Chapter Two

* * *

**_

It was the smell of smoke and the feel of heat awoke Heero from his unconscious slumber, and an instant sense of dread fell over him. As he slowly opened his eyes, he was bombarded with images of destruction. The first thing that registered was that everything seemed to be upside down, the second being that everything was on fire. His memory gradually returned, images of the plane crash flashing through his mind...the explosion, the screaming, the feel of the plane shattering, the propeller...it came in rapid succession, one after the other.

He glanced around, taking in the flames that licked throughout the downed plane, searching around for any clue as to where they might be. He glanced over to his left, his chest constricting at the sight of the limp body next to him. He shifted in his seat, reaching up to the belt release. With a heavy thump he collapsed to the floor that at one time had been the roof of the plane, grunting in pain as his shoulder connected to the head of the chair in front of him, a wet popping sound reaching his ears. Heero closed his eyes against the pain, trying to ignore it and focus his attention on the blood slicked Relena.

"Relena..." he whispered hoarsely, his throat burned raw and his ears ringing from the explosive landing. "Relena...talk to me..."

A tiny moan escaped her lips, but still her eyes remained closed. Her arms hung limply on either side of her face, a trickle of blood running down from her mouth, merging with the cut across her forehead and finally dripping to the ground in a growing crimson pool. The way her body was bent over the seatbelt couldn't have been comfortable, but he was thankful that it managed to keep her in her seat, instead of flinging her across the plane. He wanted to reach out to her, touch her bloodied face, but the enormous propeller blade embedded inches from where he'd once sat separated her from his reach.

He reached up, gingerly touching the cut that ran from his temple down and across his cheek, evidence of how close that blade had actually come to decapitating him. Of course, there were numerous cuts and bruises decorating his features, and half his body was covered in burned, but he had to move into action if he wanted to save both their lives. Ducking down and sliding under the blade, he suppressed a cry of pain as the searing metal touched his sensitive skin, rising back up to stare at Relena.

_She's losing too much blood...and the fuel could ignite at any moment. I have to get her out of here._

Relena groaned again, her eyes twitching this time. "...Hee...ro...?"

"Relena!" _Thank God..._ "Relena, I'm going to unbuckle you, alright? Don't move." She mumbled something that vaguely sounded like a protest, but he moved anyways, reaching up and unbuckling her. Arms outstretched, he quickly caught her before she could fall to the ground, forcing him down on one knee from the pain that laced through his arm. Now the problem was getting both of them beneath the propeller. Going under together was out of the question, there just wasn't enough room, and pushing her through without knowledge of her injuries could be fatal.

Relena sat cradled in his arms, her breathing labored. From the length of time they'd probably been trapped in the plane there was a distinct possibility that they could die from smoke inhalation. Choices limited, Heero gently shook really, trying to wake her up. She groaned, slapping at him weakly. At least she was recovering enough to make an attempt at mobility.

Heero put her on the floor, tapping at her cheeks. "Relena? Relena I need you to focus on me, can you do that?" Relena blinked open her eyes, her gaze unfocused but responding. "Relena, I have to get you off the plane and in order to do that, I need you to do something for me, alright?"

She nodded numbly. "Ok..."

Heero smirked. He was right for admiring her strength. Had he been in her position, he would be confused, cranky, and probably uncooperative with whatever party was preventing his body from recovering properly. "What I'm going to do is going underneath the propeller first. Then you're going to follow me...I'll help you. Do you understand?"

Relena blinked with another nod. "...follow you out...got it..."

Heero decided that if she was able to move her head and arms around, the extent of the damage must not be as bad as he'd previously thought. Sliding under the propeller once again, he was careful not to get too close, almost completely flattening his body and moving beneath in a snake-like movement. He reached back, grabbing Relena's hand and reminding her to keep her head down as he pulled her through. Heero winced guiltily as she cried out from the heat of the metal. Once she was through, he swept her up into his arms once more, stepping out of the plane from where the side had been torn off. Despite the darkness of the night and rain, he had to move them away from the aircraft in case of a fuel fire.

The sounds of the jungle startled him. Even though it was obviously night, the jungle was alive with the sounds of insects, bats, and predators. It seemed that the crash had awoken everything in a two mile radius, causing the once silent jungle to erupt in activity again. Spying a large shape close by, Heero quickly moved in the direction and found the mangled cockpit. It must have separated from the rest of the aircraft during the crash. An alien sensation of nausea suddenly overpowered him; the smell of burned flesh reached his nostrils when he discovered the fate of the pilot. Half his body was strapped in the seat, the other half leaning through the shattered windshield.

Setting Relena on the ground, Heero moved into the cockpit, searching for the headset. He pulled the top half of the captain's corpse back through the windshield, frowning at the severed wires of his headset. The other was nowhere to be found.

"Shit..." he grumbled to himself, crouching down and gazing at his surroundings. The rain was coming down harder and as far as he knew, this was the safest place to find shelter. Thankfully, the rain would make it harder for any nearby predators to catch a whiff of the blood, but the moment it stopped, he would have to leave and find better shelter until rescue could arrive. Depositing Relena in the co-pilot's chair, he took off his tattered Preventers jacket and draped it over her body in an attempt to keep her as warm as possible. He stared at her a moment longer, brushing aside the soaked bangs that covered her face so he could better look at the features that seemed to remain beautiful, despite the smudges.

"Amazing..." he said to himself with a small shake of his head. _I come out with hundreds of scrapes and bruises, but her only visible injury is the cut on her forehead._ She obviously had a knack for directing her injuries onto his welcoming body. He'd gladly take any extent of pain in order the keep her beautiful...and that included the trek back to the plane's cabin to find supplies.

Standing up with renewed resolve, Heero glanced around one last time for any predators that might be lurking before limping back to the downed remains. He would have to depend on luck that nothing would kill her, or him, while he was gone. Death was a killer in survival.

* * *

Relena woke up to the smell of a mixture of flesh, blood, and rainwater. Not mention a raging headache that seemed to broadcast throughout her entire body. The sun was streaking through the broken windshield, casting everything in an eerie green glow. She blinked her eyes rapidly, gazing up at the expansive canopy that lined the sky. Sounds of screeching animals and birdcalls bombarded her sense of hearing, grating on her sensitive eardrums. She let out a tiny moan, sitting up in the seat. It was then she noticed the jacket wrapped around her shoulders. 

"Heero!" she cried, snapping to attention. She turned towards the back of what remained of the cockpit, spying the face down body in front of her. The brown hair registered in her mind around the same time that the fact that half his body was gone. She let out a horrified cry, climbing up from her seat to walk over to him. Suddenly her knees gave out and she collapsed to the forest floor, only an arm reach away from him. She got up on her hands and knees crawling over to him, tears streaking down her face.

"Oh God, Heero..." she whispered, reaching out but too afraid to learn the truth. Instead, she sat back on her heels and began to weep, her sniffles loud to her. "No...no, please Heero..."

Suddenly the entire body surged up and Relena let out a piercing scream, stumbling back and dropping Heero's jacket as the body began to jerk and move as what looked like miniature beetles rushed out from beneath him, covering his body. A clicking noise filled the air as Relena moved away, the beetles spreading out. She watched in horrified fascination as a group of the creatures turned towards her, clicking their mandibles angrily as they advanced.

"Relena!"

She was suddenly swept off her feet and hefted into the strong arms of some stranger. She looked up, staring into the deep blue eyes of her savior. "Heero? Is that really you?"

He frowned, glancing between her and the creatures as he backed away. "What's the matter with you? Why were you just sitting there?"

Instantly, Relena's surprised was replaced with frustration. "Well excuse me for my legs not working!"

"Don't you know what those are?" he gave her a look as if he expected a person with a standing like hers to know everything.

Relena huffed at him but not relaxing the grip around his neck as they walked away. She was too tired and in too much pain to deal with his jabs at the moment, so she settled for shrugging her shoulders in a signal that no, she didn't know what the hell they were and no, she didn't know what was going on...

"Those are warrior ants, Relena." He snarled, unsure of whether to be angry or not, "They're carnivorous and bad tempered."

Relena scowled at his stern tone. "Sounds like you'd be great friends."

Suddenly Heero stopped and deposited her on the ground, pressing a bottle of water into her hands. "Here. Drink this."

Recovering from the shock of being dumped so ungraciously onto the dirty forest soil, her thirst overrode her irritation and she gulped greedily at the bottle, clasping it in her hands as if it was gold. As she drank her fill, Heero moved away, reaching for the duffle bag behind him. Relena stopped drinking as he pulled his Preventers issued pistol from inside.

"What's that for?" She inquired, the water and rest settling her headache. "I don't think there are assassins anywhere near us."

"How do you know?"

"_What_?" she blinked, staring at his in disbelief, "Heero, please, now is not the time for your over-protectiveness."

Heero stared at her irritably before motioning to her shoes. "Are those the only shoes you have?"

Relena glanced down at her heeled business shoes, letting out a small groan as she dropped her head in her hands. "My walking shoes were on the plane in my bag..." She felt like crying, miserable at the thought of trudging through the jungle in such an uncomfortable outfit.

Heero moved closer to her, squatting down and lifting her chin to look eye to eye. She tried to turn away, but his grip was firm and unmoving, enforcing the obvious notion that he wanted her to listen to him. As her struggles stopped, he released her face with a tight nod.

"You can't cry, Relena. Neither of us can afford it." He stood up, glancing around until his gaze settled on the dismembered cockpit partially hidden in the shadows. When he'd gone back to the plane, he'd searched for her bag of belongings as well as his own, hoping that by some miracle they'd seen no harm, especially his bag. Not only did it have fresh clothing and socks, but an emergency kit that he'd packed for just such an event, although, at the moment, all he really wanted was the little black box stuffed inside his missing duffle...the tracking device that could have saved their lives.

Heero wanted to kick himself for being so blind and confident in his skills. He'd secured his bag, and well, but unfortunately, his bag had gone with the other side of the plane. No doubt it was stuck in some tree in the middle of the Amazon, with enough food, water, and first aid to last them. At this point, he had to depend on the other pilots to figure out what had happened...

"Heero?" Relena asked, interrupting his thoughts, "How long until the search party arrives?"

The ex-pilot frowned deeply, glanced back at her before returning his attention to scanning the jungle. "The plane won't be reported late for another five hours, and then it will take another six before it's reported missing."

Relena shivered slightly in her damp clothing. "Eleven hours...doesn't seem that bad, right?"

Heero closed his eyes momentarily, debating whether or not he should truly explain the situation to her.Eleven hours was long enough to get them both killed. No doubt with the slackened rain, the smell of blood would be more pronounced and the keen smelling senses of predators would easily pick up on it. He could feel the jungle heating up now, the humidity increasing as the evaporating water was trapped by the thick canopy, and once that happened, the bugs would come out. She knew this wouldn't be pleasant...but she didn't know just how unpleasant.

"We need to get moving." He stated instead, shouldering the duffle bag and turning towards her, "I'll find you something more comfortable than that, wait here."

Relena picked herself up, clasping her hands in front of her as she watched Heero disappear into the shadows. The small amount of comfort she'd felt disappeared with each step he took away from her. As the minutes passed, Relena began to wring her hands, flinching at every sound the jungle made. With every rustle of a bush or the feel of wind brushing, she would jump and spin around, looking for its source, her eyes as dangerous as she could make them.

"What are you doing?"

Relena bit back a scream, her rapid spin sending dirty, gold tresses flying towards Heero's unprepared face. Luckily, for them both, he was able to duck before he was blinded by them. Throwing a heated glare in Relena's direction, he handed her a soiled pile of clothing.

"Put these on. They might be a little big but they'll have to do." Then, as a bashful after thought: "I'd give you mine, but..."

Seeing the heat starting to rise on his cheeks, Relena saved him the embarrassment of a full blown blush by taking the cloths and stepped off into the woods, never giving a second thought to where they came from. He was being too considerate and cooperative at the moment. Heero watched her for a moment, his eyes tracing her body before he called out: "Stay close!"

Relena turned slightly and threw a wave of acknowledgement as she partially disappeared behind a large bush, shaking out the clothing. She giggled lightly at the thought of Heero's bashful look, an expression she found adorable for a soldier like him, a self-proclaimed unemotional perfect soldier. Her own blush heated her cheeks as the thought also brought on the realization that he was willing to give up his own comfort in order to make this better on her. Perhaps he wasn't as mean hearted as he seemed...

She flapped open the clothing. For a moment, she blinked...unsure of what to make of it...and then it hit her like a freight train.

_Oh my God...

* * *

_

_Huzzah! I updated! And quickly too. I like fics like these where you can use your imagination. Makes things more interesting. All right. Do your thing. Review. Be kind, please rewind...all that jazz under the sun. And pray for me. I'm going to become...A DIRECTOR!_

_Oh, and uh, if you see too many spelling/grammar errors, please tell me. They irritate me as a reader and I'd hate to do such injustice to you...are these chapters too short? Just, you know, as an after thought..._


	3. Chapter 3

_**Jungle Rot**_

_**By: Wildfire Sky**_

_Ok...I just have to address this because I laughed my ass off when I read it. To Mr. darkchibi-whatever, yes, hangovers ARE bad, but I think you might be referring to cliffhangers. Don't take offense, but I just found that really entertaining because I'd just gone partying the night before. Glad to see everyone is enjoying this! Please, R&R and enjoy!_

_**Jungle Rot**_

_**Chapter Three

* * *

**_

"Are you kidding me?" Relena snapped, glaring at the impassive man before her as she held the clothing out. "Do you really expect me to wear this?"

Heero sighed, staring down into angry aqua-blue eyes. He had expected resistance, perhaps even a good (but easily won) argument; however, he had never expected Relena to come charging back from the shrubbery, shaking the clothing at him. She needed to be comfortable seeing as with the rising sun they would have to relocate, and besides, proper clothing was essential in the jungle and this was as close as he could get.

"Relena put it on. It's for your own good."

She stamped her foot angrily, hands on her hips. "I am _not_ wearing that! I can't believe you even thought that I would..."

Heero could feel his temper flaring, annoyed at the costly delay she was causing. "Goddamn it, Relena, stop acting like such a brat and put the damn uniform on!"

For a moment, they stood there, silently regarding each other in the tinted sunlight. As realization of what he'd said sank in, he immediately wanted to apologize, explain to her the situation...but his pride got in the way. Instead, Heero turned his back to her, observing the surrounding forest as if scanning for predators. As the uncomfortable silence lingered, he began to sweat, the heat, and shame, starting to get to him.

"Relena..." He heard her shift and turned to see her staring pointedly at the ground, the clothing hanging loosely in her hands. "It was the only thing I could find..." He took a deep breath, stepping towards her, "I know it might be uncomfortable at first, but in a survival situation..."

Relena's gaze slowly slid up to his face, and he was momentarily at a loss for words at the hurt expression. A sudden urge to kick himself threatened to overwhelm his logic and he reached out towards her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Relena..."

She pulled away from his touch, once again lowering her eyes to the ground. "I'm sorry I seem like such a brat to you, Heero," she said bitterly, "I'm just not comfortable putting on a dead man's uniform."

Heero winced at her tone, the urgings of self-abuse increasing. It was unfair of him to demand that she take the clothing of the dead pilot and wear them, in fact, in any other scenario, the thought wouldn't cross his mind, but the pilot had been dressed for the jungle, donning a loose, mid-sleeved shirt, jacket, pants and boots. These were the things that could keep Relena safe, and probably physically unharmed (although mentally she would be hurting), and damn it Heero would make sure that she was safe, no matter what he had to do.

Relena, tired of waiting for a comment that would never come, turned away and began stripping off her suit jacket and tossing it to the jungle floor, uncaring as to how dirty it might become. _There goes two hundred credits..._

Heero watched in stunned amazement as she peeled off her clothing layer by layer, captivated by the sight. "Wh...What are you doing?" He managed to say as Relena's hands traveled up to her blouse buttons. "Go behind a tree or something."

She turned towards him, annoyed blue eyes connecting with his own. "To be honest, I want you within hitting distance should there be anymore surprises..."

Recovering from his embarrassment, Heero scowled at her and turned away, refusing to respond to the obviously empty threat. She was acting ridiculous, not to mention a little crazy...usually she was modest, her face flushing should she even reach to unbutton the first button on her blouse, but now, she seemed almost irritated that he'd been embarrassed to look at her. Such a development was unfortunate in their situation; he couldn't have them fighting and making things even more difficult...

Curbing his pride, he turned, opening his mouth, only to find his face colliding with her blouse. Ripping it away, he glared at her, the corner of his lips turning down into a fierce snarl. Relena merely regarded him with an uninterested stare, stuffing the dark blue shirt into her long, slightly baggy jeans.

"My shoes?" she demanded, holding out a hand impatiently.

His glower deepening, Heero duteously gave her the boots of the pilot, waiting as she slipped them on and tied them. He didn't bother warning her about the size, because, frankly, at that moment he didn't much care. Her attitude was grating on his nerves and he wanted to be through with their interactions.

"They...they fit nice..."

He'd barely heard her small comment, already aware of the size. Of course they fit nice, the pilot had small feet. What he didn't want to admit was that he knew Relena's exact shoe size...and believe it or not, her feet were a bit big for a woman's, but only by a size. Heero shook his head, clearing the thought path. Now was definitely not the time to be thinking about Relena's anatomic sizing.

Hefting the duffle bag across his back, he motioned with his head. "Let's go."

Relena looked up at his dead tone, trying to ignore the hurt. It was technically her fault that he was in a bad mood; after all, she had thrown a fit because of some bloody clothing. Heero was still in his torn garments, clothing that he was willing to give up on a whim. But that didn't mean she wasn't justified in some aspect. She was just as stressed out as he was, damn it!

Relena picked up the pilot's jacket and followed Heero's quick pace into the dark unknown of the Amazon Jungle...

* * *

Duo checked his watched for what seemed like the fifth time, his foot tapping impatiently on the linoleum floor of the Buenos Aires Airport, waiting for confirmation of the arrival of Relena's plane to this old and run down airport, a placethat has stood since the days before space colonies had ever existed, historical evidence of the past. They had no runways for space shuttles, no shuttle launchers, nothing modern at all that could be described as such by the people of the Sanc Kingdom. It only enforced the image of the many needs that South American was short.

Reaching into the pocket of his brown and green jacket, Duo resisted the urge to pull out the cell phone stuffed inside. He could handle this...he would justgo tothe control tower and he'd be able to get some answers...the only problem was that the tower was across the runway from the terminal, and the heavy, black rain clouds hanging overhead discouraged him from making the short journey.

Cursing his ill-luck, Duo slumped down into an old waiting chair, its upholstery worn down into patches from what might have been an orange to a dull yellow. The dust seemed to plume up around him, causing him to choke and cough, burning his eyes. Rubbing at his irritated eyes, Duo blinked, glancing at his surroundings.

Even with the prospect of the Vice Foreign Minister arriving to Buenos Aires for such an important event as the base opening, the press was nearly non existent. There were a few desperate newbie reporters, hoping for the big break in their career that would elevate them to popularity amongst the people of the world. They sat in waiting chairs, or leaning against the terminal windows, staring out into the rainy surroundings, looking for Relena's plane much as he had been only moments earlier. Some had even tried to get a statement from him, obviously bored and wanting someone to practice their interrogating skills on. At first, he'd been polite in turning them away, but as his anxiety increased, so did his temper. Now they avoided him, occasionally throwing confused glances his way, wondering why he was being so rude.

_Better get used to it, buddies..._he thought bitterly. If they really desired to know what it was like as a reporter, they'd better be prepared to face many more like him, if not worse than him.

He heard footsteps approach and stiffened, his glare already in place for whatever reporter was coming over to bug him. "And just what the hell do you want?"

There was a tiny feminine squeak, "I...I'm very sorry, sir..."

Duo blinked, turning his head towards the voice, an apologetic smile instantly washing over his face at the sight of the beautiful, yet bashful terminal attendant slowly making her retreat. "Uh..." he laughed nervously, "Sorry about that, I thought you were...um, can I help you with something?"

The attendant stood there for a moment as if weighing her options between running and staying. Nervously licking her lips she risked speaking again. "Are you Agent Duo Maxwell?"

Instantly, Duo was on alert, climbing to his feet and facing her. "Yes I am, what can I do for you?"

"Mr. Herald Issen would like a word with you in his office." She held out a hand, motioning for him to follow her. Duo adjusted his jacket, snatching a glance at the lower extremities of the woman in front of him, before quickly following to catch up.

"Issen?" Duo inquired, "That doesn't sound Latino to me...where is he from?"

The attendant shrugged, "A country in Northern Europe, near the Sanc Kingdom or some such city." The left the main terminal and turned down a narrow hallway that would barely have fit two people shoulder to shoulder. The peeling walls were decorated with ancient and weathered pictures of airplanes from pre-colonial days.

Duo blinked. "The Sanc Kingdom? Are you sure about that?"

"Quite sure, Agent Maxwell." She stopped in front of a stained wood door, stepping to one side. On the door was a mounted brass plate with the name and title 'Issen. Head of Air Control' engraved in its metal. Giving the door a soft knock, she waited for the gruff: "Enter!" before twisting the knob and throwing the door open.

Duo gave her an appreciate nod before entering the small, cramped looking office. He allowed himself a glance around the plain, bare walls before his eyes settled on the large form sitting behind the small desk in the center of the room. Herald Issen was indeed a foreigner to South American, his blue eyes and blonde hair an obvious sign of his European heritage. When he spoke, his voice held accent from this land, his proper speech leading Duo to believe he was not from the Sanc Kingdom as the attendant had said, but mostly likely from Britain.

"Agent Maxwell, I presume? Allow me to introduce myself; I am Herald Issen, the Head of Air Control here at the Buenos Aires Airport." He firmly shook Duo's hand before motioning for him to sit. "I apologize for not offering you anything to drink, but I'm afraid there is more urgent business at hand. As I'm sure you are aware, Vice Foreign Minister Relena Dorlain was scheduled to arrive here quite some time ago...unfortunately, with our laws we cannot report any plane missing for at least another six hours." He smiled nervously, "I'm jumping the gun by announcing this to you so early, but considering the political status to the missing person..."

Duo smiled appreciatively, now anxious to call Une with his worst fears confirmed. "The Preventers appreciate it. I'll be sure to tell my boss how helpful you were.If you'll excuse me, I have some phone calls to make. It's important that they know about this right away."

Herald blinked, holding up a hand to stop Duo from rising. "One moment, Agent Maxwell, please. I'm afraid that your announcement to your organization would alert both my employer and the government that I've broken the law by declaring a plane missing so early."

"Dare I ask why there is a law like that?" Duo asked, his voice dripping with suspicion. "I've never heard of it in any other country...or continent for that matter."

Herald leaned back in his seat, pressing his fingertips together. "That would be because of the geography and environment of South America. Usually, flights that take longer distances around the continent are reported missing earlier because they're not as likely to interact with weather that might slow or hinder them. We report those with in two hours of their being declared late..." he heaved a sigh, averting his gaze from Duo's, "But because of the Vice Foreign Minister's flight path across the Amazon, and in the rainy season, we won't know their status until they've cleared the jungle."

Duo cocked an eyebrow. "Then how do you know the flight is missing and not landed somewhere?"

Herald shook his head, placing both hands down on the desktop. "To be perfectly honest, I'm not completely sure, but the evidence points to it. The control tower received an incoming message from a private airstrip announcing that they received pieces of a distress call from a plane flying over the Amazon jungle. Unfortunately, the plane identification numbers were cut off, as well as most of the message."

"Do you have the transmission tape?"

"Of course, Agent Maxwell. But for fear of this going public..."

Duo smirked. "Say no more, buddy, your secret's safe with me!"

"And the Preventers?" Herald set him with a stern glare. "The Head of Preventers can not be notified of this or the government with become involved. I am doing this as a favor to a good woman, and nothing else."

Duo waved a hand absentmindedly. "Yea, sure, whatever you say! If you hand over the tapes, I'll make sure no one who doesn't need to will find out about this, alright?"

Herald smiled and gave a sharp nod. "Very good then, sir. Follow the attendant to the control tower and they will have the log ready for you."

Duo stood and gave the man's hand a firm shake. "Thanks a bunch! I'll see my way out."

Herald waited until Duo had left to let out a small sigh. He was worried, not to mention fearful, that the braided one had seen through his little game, but then again, he'd said nothing to make such suspicions true. He nearly jumped out of his skin when his desk phone rang. Snatching it up on the second ring, he cleared his throat before answering.

"Good morning, this is Herald Issen. How may I..."

"_It's me."_

Herald sat straighter in his chair, cradling the phone to his ear. "I didn't realize you'd be calling so soon Mr..."

"_Don't say my name out loud you idiot. We don't know if your paranoid government has the line tapped."_

"Of course, sir, I apologize."

"_Did you do as instructed?"_

Herald nodded eagerly. "Yes...yes, I've done as you asked. Now what about my end of the bargain?"

"_Once it's complete you'll have your pardon. Until then, keep up your act and help the Preventers with whatever they need. Do they have the tape?"_

"Of course. I've done everything you're told me to..."

"_Very well. The packages will be arriving today and three o'clock. Meet them at the terminal gate and make the delivery."_

Herald blinked as the line went dead before throwing the offending item back down and flopping back in his chair. Reaching into his desk, he pulled out a small canteen and took a deep, heart-felt swig. Sighing, he leaned back in his chair, throwing an arm over his face.

"I need a vacation..."

* * *

_Next chapter out...I just finished filming so I'm a bit tired and a bit out of it. If the ending (or any part) didn't make sense, please tell me and I'll see if I can re-write it to make easier reading. If any of you thought Duo was a little OOC, meh, oh well, like I said, I'm tired and a bit cranky._

_Oh! Announcement! If you would like to beta read this, drop me and email with an offer and what experiences you've had in beta reading. I'll email you back and tell you yay or nay!_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Jungle Rot**_

_**By: Wildfire Sky**_

_I am currently on vacation, so forgive me if in this chapter I seem a little…distracted. Even though I am on vacation, I felt it was my duty to try and get you an update as soon as possible. So here I am, sitting in my room, typing away as if I had nothing better to do…and I don't, dammit…_

**_Jungle Rot_**

**_Chapter Four

* * *

_**

"Excuse me, Lady Une, but you have a call on line four."

Lady Une barely looked up from the report in her hands as the soft voice of her secretary as it filtered through the intercom on her desk. "Who's the call from?"

"Agent Duo Maxwell, ma'am. His verification code checks out in the system. Will you take the call?"

Une's attention was immediately shifted, giving the secretary the affirmative to let the call through. She patiently waited as the call connected from her office to Buenos Aires where she'd stationed him nearly two days before. He was supposed to check in when Relena's flight arrived and he'd made contact with Heero for the transfer of her protection. However, Duo's call came almost three hours late, leaving a worried Une to ponder just what the hell was going on. Usually, she would have authorized contact in the case of an emergency, but South America was still unclassified as far as threats went and she'd rather not let out Relena's current location to the wrong people. He fact that the press had gotten a hold of the information was evidence enough of the lax in security.

She was pulled from her thoughts as Duo's face appeared on her vid screen, slightly distorted from the poor satellite connection. His hand was held up to her forehead in a sharp salute, holding the position until Une acknowledged him.

"Your call came late, Agent Maxwell," she said impatiently, "care to explain why?"

Duo sighed solemnly, dropping the salute and staring at the screen sternly. "I'm sorry, Commander, but there's been a problem."

He didn't need to say more. Duo was in charge of Relena's safety, and that was his only purpose being down there. For him to say something like that either meant that Relena was in danger, or Relena was dead. Worse, such an event would be a double blow to both her and the six men and woman that she worked so closely with…the loss of Heero. But such thoughts had to be pushed aside as she hoped for the best and prepared for the worst.

"Details." She snapped, her mind already cycling through the procedure for any damage control she might have to instill. "I want to know when, where, and how it happened."

Duo nodded, casting a small glance over his shoulder. "I kinda made this guy a promise to get the details from him, said I wouldn't mention it to you, so forgive me if I have to pause every now and then."

"Where are you?" Une asked, an eyebrow quirked.

"In the men's bathroom, it's the only place I could actually get a clear enough signal without attracting attention to myself." Duo cleared his throat, glancing at something off screen. "I'm sending your secretary the documents I received from the tower log book and audio recorder. As you know, Relena's plane was scheduled for a midnight arrival to try and sideswipe the usual press hounds, however, I just received word this morning that the tower received a call from some private airstrip of a distress call coming from the Amazonian area…"

Une gave her secretary a small nod as she set down a small manila folder containing Duo's documents. As she listened to his report, she glanced over the files, her narrowed eyes scanning over the contents. "And what time, exactly, was the distress called received and what time did the tower receive it?"

Duo winced to himself. "The private strip said they received the report just before midnight, which means that the plane was behind schedule anyways, assuming, of course, that the signals are as good as modern technology. However, considering the area we're talking about, it's quite possible that the distress was delayed from anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours. The same goes for the tower. They received the call from the private strip around four o'clock in the morning. Again, possibility of a time delay."

Sighing to herself, Une leaned back in her chair, carefully reading the documents before her. "This report says that the distress call was chopped and incomplete."

"What you see is what you get, I'm afraid." Duo shrugged one shoulder apologetically. "I wish I could do more, but unless we get a tech unit to the actual airstrip, which is God-knows-where, we can't get any more than that."

"So we don't know the exact location or if they even went down, correct?"

"Yes, Commander." Duo paused, looking over his shoulder as if listening for something. After a moment he turned back to her, flashing a short smile. "Sorry, thought I heard someone coming. Anyways, what I do know, both from word of mouth and from seeing it myself, we are smack dab in the middle of the rainy season for the Amazon. Not exactly a premier time to schedule a flight over the rainforest."

Une frowned. "Who authorized the flight?"

Duo stared at her for a moment as if trying to decide whether or not to tell her further. "The captain requested a flight change with Heero a few hours before take off, saying that it might be safer to go straight through South America rather than around it. Reports confirmed that there were rumors of rebel movement in some of the coastal countries in protest to the Preventers opening a base there. Since they were flying in a marked plane, Heero agreed with the pilot for the route change."

"So Yuy authorized it."

"Yes…"

Une pinched the bridge of her nose. "Please tell me he was aware of the weather hazards, Duo…tell me he didn't base his decision without looking at _all_ of the facts."

Duo snorted in mock surprise. "Please! This is Heero Yuy we're talking about. He probably knew the weather patterns before the weather man did. And considering his options, I would have done the exact same thing, honestly."

"Thank you, Duo. That makes me feel a lot better…"

The sarcasm didn't escape the ex-pilot, his face splitting into a grin. "What else am I good for, Lady?"

She wanted to say "not much", but wisely kept her mouth shut, opting not to get into battle of the wits and insults from the current reining champion. Instead she said: "Do what you can on your end to find out the relative location of the last distress call and narrow it down from that. I'll organize a search team."

Duo's smirk grew. "Who has the pleasure of telling Big Brother?"

Lady Une couldn't help but glare at the video screen, her mind already steeling her for the force that would come from breaking the news to the most over protective brother she'd ever laid eyes on.

"I do."

* * *

"I'm hungry…I'm hot…and I want to sit down and rest for a bit."

There was a gruff grunt. "You just sat down a moment ago."

"Two hours is _not_ a moment, Heero Yuy!"

Heero tried to drown out her persistent whining, a noise he'd been dealing with for quite some time now. It was true that in this environment, two hours might seem a lot longer than it actually was, but the quicker they moved, the better chance they had of survival. No doubt they were already being tracked by predators, the blood trail an easy scent to pick up on. Heero covered a wince as he stepped, trying not to let Relena see the brief moment of weakness. He could handle this…he didn't need Relena worrying about him.

But still…it was becoming harder to concentrate. He glanced up at the high canopy, the long, thick jungle leaves blocking out the noon sky and forming a humid dome around them. It was getting close to noon, the hottest point in the day. Where as before, the rain had been a burden, he was now quietly hoping for its return. As if on cue the jungle suddenly darkened as heavy rain clouds slowly rolled in overhead.

Heero looked around for something that might provide them with shelter from what promised to be a heavy rainfall. In the distance was what looked like a rock overhang, a rare, but welcome sight in the jungle. He turned to address Relena, only to find her looking at him curiously. She moved towards him, her hands outstretched and moving for his side.

"Heero…is that blood?"

Cursing to himself at her discovery, Heero tried to play it off, brushing aside her questing fingers. "I got some blood on me from the pilot. It will wash out." Relena scrunched her face up into a disbelieving frown.

"Heero…" Whatever she was about to say was cut off as she wrapped her arms about her tightly, shivering. "Why is it so cold?"

_Shit…_Heero snarled at to himself. The temperature was dropping and the outcropping had to be at least another half mile in front of them. If they didn't hurry the rain would start and they might lose their way…or worse, each other. Snatching her hand up, Heero began to pull her in the direction of the rocks.

"Come on, Relena, we need to find shelter."

Relena flushed slightly at the contact, lowering her eyes to he ground as they stumbled forward. There was a low rumble from behind and Relena turned, looking over her shoulder, staring into the now dark jungle. Her bashful smile slowly faded at the sight rushing towards her.

"Heero…" she whispered, "What is that?"

Heero paused, turning to look back. He drew in a sharp breath, tugging at Relena's arm urgently. "Relena, we have to hurry!"

Too shocked to respond, albeit move her legs, Relena allowed Heero to drag her forward, her eyes riveted on the wall of water rushing towards them. It was as if a dam had burst open, unable to contain the force it was holding. The wall of rain thundered towards them, tearing through the jungle like a demon, flashes of lightning coupling with rolls of thunder as it tagged along. Trees that at one point seemed unyielding, bowed to the power that swept over them, inching closer and closer to the pair rushing through the jungle with every second.

"We're too slow…" Relena whispered to herself as the wall came closer and closer. She could hear Heero's labored panting as he ran, "We can't outrun it." The sound was deafening, the smell of rain overpowering.

Heero pumped his legs, his hand tightening around Relena's wrists as he plunged forward, eyes locked on their destination. They were close…so very close to safety. It was less than a quarter mile away…

He cleanly leaped over a root, continuing forward, so intent on his target that his mind didn't register the gasp of pain or Relena's hand falling from his own.

"Heero!"

The Gundam Pilot froze in his tracks, turning back in time to see the wall of water swallow the fallen Relena up into its unrelenting mouth and rush towards him. He barely had time to call out her name before he was knockedfrom his feet by the awesome power of the same Mother Nature he'd underestimated before.

Heero struggled to his feet, the ground around him already a pit of mud. He was shocked to find the world around him now pitch black, the aide of city lights no longer there to help his human eyes. There was a flash of lightning, a temporary flash light to the dark and dangerous world. With each flash he would look around, trying to spot his missing charge.

"Relena!" he shouted out into the night, his voice swallowed up by the loud claps of thunder. She would never be able to hear him in this storm. He moved forward a few more paces with the next flash, calling her name again in a desperate search to locate her, eyes sweeping.

Had he gotten turned around? Oh hell…what if she'd moved? They'd never find each other! He had been her only hope of survival, her only protection against the elements, and he'd been so riveted on finding shelter _for_ her that he'd forgotten _about_ her. And now she could be lost in the Amazon, wandering it until she was either killed by some wild animal or died of starvation.

_Damn it no…_"Relena!"_…this can't be happening…_"Relena, can you hear me?"_…I failed her…_"Relena, say something!"_…I'm such a damned fool!_

There was another bright flash, illuminating the jungle before him, and for the briefest of moments, for one moment in time, he thanked the one man he'd never believed in until now…he sent out a silent prayer of thanks to God.

In that one flash, he'd seen her, head bowed against the torment of the rain. He moved towards her, stepping with each bright flash of lightning. By the time he'd reached her, the freezing rain had numbed him right down to his bones and he found himself shaking despite his vigorous training…and that made him all the more scared for Relena. The one of them who'd had no training whatsoever for the wicked elements.

He crouched down next to her, dropping the duffle bag and removing the jacket from around his shoulders, draping it over her shaking body. As the lightning flashed again, he looked down into her upturned face, the next flash revealing her red brimmed eyes.

He wanted to kick himself. Hard. _Crying…You made her cry…_

Pulling her leg free of the root that entrapped it, Heero gathered her into his arms and held her close, their cheeks touching. Even in the rain, she felt warm to the touch, a clear sign that if he didn't find that outcropping, and soon, she would fall sick. And to fall sick in the jungle, a place already riddled with disease, meant a most certain, and painful, death. He adjusted the duffle bag to sit more comfortingly against his back as he patiently waited for the next flash of lightning to give him direction. In his arms, Relena shifted, mumbling deliriously.

"I'm sorry…I'm sorry…" he whispered, more to himself than her."Just hold on for me, Relena…"

Her arms tightened around his neck, her face snuggling closer into his neck, seeking much needed warmth. At the next flash and roll of thunder, Heero spied his destination, and quickly moved forward, head bowed against the whipping slashes of rain that fought to halt his procession through the jungle it was the current ruler of.

Slowly, step by step, he moved closer and closer, his clothing mere soaked rags hanging from his worn body. By the time he reached the rock hang, his body was threatening to collapse, his leg muscles throbbing from exertion. He leaned Relena against the stone wall beneath the rocks, pulling both jackets from her body and spreading them down on the jungle floor like a blanket. He gently pushed Relena onto the first jacket before pulling the other over her. He hesitated for a moment, watching as the shaking reduced to mere shivers, silently debating with himself as to whether or not he should try and warm her further.

_What harm could it do?_

He slowly lowered himself down next to her, brushing aside her soaking bangs in order to get a better look at her face. Lowering his head, he stared at her closed eyes before wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer. Tucking her head beneath his chin, he allowed himself a rare moment to enjoy her company. Absently, his hand began to rub up and down her back, a small smile flickering across his lips as her own hands came up to clutch the front of his shirt.

"Heero…love you…"

His smile vanished at the words, his lips parting slightly as he sucked in a sharp breath. He tightly closed his eyes, pressing her in closer to him. His hand came up to her hair, tangling itself in her honey yellow locks.

_Relena...I know you do, but…_

He shook his head, urging his body to rest.

_Please…don't ask me for what I can't give…_

Sleep slowly began to over take him, his tired body welcoming the much needed rest.

_Don't ask me to love you…

* * *

_

_You guys better be damn grateful to me! I should be relaxing, but **no**, I'm too busy writing for all of you. I expect some reviews for this…oh yes…I expect some reviews. Actually, if you must know, everything's going quite well right now, and I am enjoying myself. I just needed to finish this chapter and get it out. Don't expect another review until I come back from vacation, some time next week, alright? I'll try and get one out as soon as I can._

_**THANKS FOR ALL YOUR REVIEWS! PLEASE KEEP READING!**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Jungle Rot**_

_**By: Wildfire Sky**_

_Hey all! Just got back from vacation and started shutdown at work! Wonderful, I tell you, absolutely wonderful! And I am now a certified scuba diver! Everybody say HUZZAH! And in celebration of this, I have decided to update Jungle Rot. Let me be honest with you, I don't think I've enjoyed writing a story more than I do this one…and maybe The Guardian too…meh…_

**_Made one slight change. Decided to have Heero wake up in a sweat instead of in tears because, well, that sounds very 'un-Heero' like...amoung other things...also made corrections to language mistakes (thanks a bunch to Genti for his help in translations! You rock my socks._**

**_Jungle Rot_**

**_Chapter Five

* * *

_**

Warmth. It seemed to cover Relena like an invisible cloak, seeping into her skin and bringing life back to the limbs that at one pointed ached from the cold and beating water that had punished her body. It was the warmth that called her from her deep sleep and back to the conscious world.

Relena slowly opened her eyes, startled by the shroud of darkness. Yet, her brain was too tired, her body too weak to actually find the reason why. Right now, at this moment, she wanted to settle in and bask in the warmth that was holding her. She leaned back, vaguely aware of the softness of the ground or the sounds of the storm that rumbled overhead. It was obvious that she was protected from the rainfall, the droplets attack hindered by something overhead, and protection that she was grateful for.

_Protection…someone was protecting me…_

Suddenly, Relena's half-lidded eyes shot open as the revelation came crashing down around her. Heero! It was coming back to her now…they were running and she'd fallen, Heero ran on, the wall of rain, darkness, and then…and then she was being lifted. Lifted into strong arms that pressed her close…

But after that, nothing. She couldn't recall what happened afterwards, just waking up warm and feeling safe. Relena lifted her head, peering out into the black that surrounded them. A white flash ignited the entire area, illuminating the dark, stony walls and the millions of tiny, moving shadows. Her body stiffened, teeth clamping down to bite back a scream of surprise. Bugs…dozens of little bugs _everywhere_!

"Relax or you'll make yourself sick."

Relena jerked away from the voice behind her, rolling off to the side. "Who are you?"

There was a snort and the sound of a body moving. Relena stared fearfully, barely able to make out the figure sitting up in front of her. There was another bright lightning flash, the light revealing to hardened features of her guardian. Even in the brief moment, she could see the small wince of pain on his face from moving, the realization of a possible injury dawning on her.

"Are you feeling alright?" Heero asked, his usually rough voice hinting with a softness that was very unlike Heero.

Relena nodded even though he couldn't see her. "I…I think I'm fine. Why is it so dark?"

"The storm." Heero stated a matter of factly. "It's been going on for hours now. This reduces our chances of a quick rescue." She could almost feel the bitterness and guilt in his voice.

She'd known about the decision to try Mother Nature and fly across the country rather than around it. In fact, he'd approached her with the choices, his deep blue eyes challenging her to counter-act his order. It was a given that the pilot had been told by Heero to take the new route, the bodyguard was merely following routine by 'confiding' in her for a set decision. Had she voiced her concerns before, no doubt they still would have taken the new course. Unpredictable storms didn't worry Heero as much as heat seeking missiles did.

Relena shifted closer to Heero's form, trying to warm her chilled body with his heat. She wasn't sure of how he would respond, but Relena took the risk of leaning her head against his shoulder, her hand reaching down to grasp his in the swirling mud. All around them, rivulets of water racing down the slopes, cascading over the rocky overhang that provided protection from the harsh storm.

"They'll find us, Heero," she said to him, giving his hand a light squeeze, "I know they will. Milliardo won't let them quit on us."

Heero stiffened slightly before extracting his hand from hers. "How are you feeling?"

Even in such a dire time, Heero was worried about only her. Sure, it looked grim now; after all, it was his decision to go cross country in the middle of the rainy season, but like the pilots said, the storms were unpredictable. There was no way Heero could know for sure what might happen or even when it might happen. It wasn't his fault...it wasn't anyone's fault.

"I'm fine, Heero." She answered softly, reaching up and searching for his face. "It's so dark, though...I can't see where you are." Her hands hit warm flesh, something smooth and developed.

"That's my cheek..." Heero mumbled, unconsciously leaning into to her soft touch. He wanted her to touch more of him with those comforting hands...he needed her touch. Slowly he reached up gripping her hands in his own and guiding them over the features of his face. Relena gamely allowed his control, not resisting his fiery touch.

Heero let her explore his face before bring her hands down to his lips. For a moment, Relena's fingers paused in their gentle exploration, her breathing increasing slightly. Then, as if by instinct, she cupped the sides of his face, bringing him down closer to her. They bumped noses, causing a tiny giggle to escape from Relena, but Heero was in no mood for laughter.

In the next flash of light, he crushed his lips to hers, cutting of her innocent laughter in a searing kiss. Caught by surprise, Relena began to struggle, pushing at Heero feebly with her hands, but he wouldn't relinquish his attack, instead wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into his lap. Finally, she began to relax and eagerly responded to his instinctive advance.

_What the hell are you doing? _His mind screamed at him. He tried to ignore it. _You're lost in the middle of the jungle and the only thing on your mind is increasing the human population?_

Heero's world collapsed around him like a ton of bricks. Eyes snapping open, he froze despite the wanton urgings by Relena. His mind was right...this was the wrong time, and definitely the wrong place to be thinking of such things. He wanted to kick himself for such a dangerous lapse in concentration. He knew this would happen...he knew that if he stayed around Relena too long his emotions would start to get the better of him. It seemed that this dire situation was the final push his body needed in order to take over his better judgment and pursue its wants.

He pulled back, eyes narrowed in the darkness. He remained still as Relena tried to pull a response from him, her lips falling to his neck. When even this failed to get a stir, she pulled back, staring at the outline in confusion.

"Heero?" she asked, touching a hand to his arm, "Heero, what's the matter?"

The stoic pilot jerked his arm back. "We shouldn't, Relena."

Relena blinked. "Shouldn't what?"

"We shouldn't be doing _this_." Heero snapped, still angry with himself for his bout of weakness, "You're in danger, don't you understand? It was inappropriate and dishonorable for me to take advantage of you." Lightning flashed, revealing Heero's anger filled face. His harsh, blue eyes seemed to glare at her as if blaming her for all that had happened.

Relena lowered her eyes to the ground, feeling hurt and even more confused. "You...you weren't taking advantage..."

"Stop." Heero bit, half rising. "I was. The only thing I wanted was..." he trailed off, unable to finish the thought. "The only thing I want right now is to get you home safely. And afterwards..." he sighed, "...just...go to sleep. There's nothing else for us to do until the storm passes."

Relena heard the hesitation, but decided against urging him to complete whatever he was going to say. She'd rather not get another tongue lashing. "So, this was a mistake, right?" she said, her voice barely catching over the roar of the storm. _You were a mistake..._

Heero lowered his head, the overhang erupting with light again. Was it a mistake? He couldn't deny that he hadn't enjoyed her warmth, the feel of her lips against his own...the sensation of the world being hefted off his shoulders and thrown into some deep abyss as they kissed. But he was a soldier and he knew that something so subtle could turn into a primal wanting, and eventually, he would be obsessed with her...

_But aren't you already?_

It was true. He couldn't get her out of his mind, day or night. Relena plagued his thoughts and body. Every time she was near him, it was as if the world had dropped away and only she was there. Even when they fought, the furious look on her face made him want to crush her against him, say that of course she was right...she was always right, and then sweep her off her feet and make up with her. But he couldn't...and wouldn't.

Once, he'd woken up in a sweat when he'd dreamt that she belonged to someone else, one of those snobby aristocrats that would never deserve to even be near her. And because of it, he'd been hell bent on keeping any and all aristocrats away from her. Relena had to eventually threaten to replace him if he didn't stop scarring away the diplomats and guests. How could he tell her why he did? He was afraid that his intentions were already too obvious (even after two black eyes Duo just didn't know when to shut the hell up), and if he told Relena it would get around the entire Sanc Kingdom within the week.

He had to cut off his connection with her immediately. It was a mistake to come to Earth. It was a mistake to let her live. It was _definitely_ a mistake to become her personal bodyguard. And was finally following his emotions a mistake?

He turned, watching her hopeful face as lightning flashed, illuminating her beautiful features.

"Yes."

* * *

Herald Issen stood in front of terminal one at exactly 2:58pm. The last thing he wanted on this already hectic day was to be late and miss the delivery, whatever the hell that was. The phone call this morning had put him on edge all day, causing his already high blood pressure to spike. He was beginning to regret even getting involved in all of this, but under the current circumstances, he was quite sure he was on the right side of the bar. 

Herald had often found himself the unwilling go between when it came to many of the shipments that arrived in Buenos Aires, especially packages of high importance to the owner, many of which were less than legal. Sure, it was an excellent source of income, for he was usually paid handsomely for his participation, but more often than not, those payments were also associated with a gun stuck up his nose and a few choice words of encouragement to keep his mouth shut.

He glanced at his watch again. 2:59...he vaguely wondered if the package would be delivered on time and how it would get to him. And furthermore, what the hell was he supposed to do with it? He certainly wasn't a mechanic; in fact, anything that wasn't written down a paper was too complicated for him! Perhaps he was just here to make sure that it arrived...maybe when it came his contact would call with further instructions.

Herald began to wring his hands. Whatever happened, he wanted it to hurry up and get here...it was unusual for him to be out of his office except for lunch and he didn't want to attract any unnecessary attention. Thankfully, the terminal was more crowded during the afternoon, the peak hours of the workday. Even though there were few international flights, the terminal was filled with people trying to fly from Buenos Aires to whatever city or country they were from.

_And good riddance to all of them..._Herald thought bitterly. He hated his country so much...

"_Pasajeros de atención, el Vuelo 182 ha llegado al terminal un. El vuelo 182 ha llegado al terminal un. Gracias...Attention passengers, Flight 182 has arrived at terminal one. Flight 182 has arrived at terminal one. Thank you."_

Herald felt his breath hitch in the back of his throat. He turned to the large glass window and sure enough, there was the large, blue and white passenger plane pulling up to the extending walkway. He could see the small amount of people on board moving about, standing and retrieving their luggage from the overhead bins. He waited impatiently by the walkway door, ignoring the people that flowed around him,for an opportunity to search the plane for whatever might be left for him.

"_Sei Herald Issen?"_

Herald blinked, turning at the mention of his name, despite the fact that it was in a foreign language. Three men stood behind him, a black and two whites, each one dressed in black shirts, camouflage pants, and military style boots. The one that spoke, a white man with gelled black hair fashioned into waves of short spikes, removed the dark sunglasses that they all seemed to wear, revealing piercing gray eyes.

"_Sei Herald Issen?"_ he repeated more firmly, frowning at the lack of response. _"Hai capito cosa ho detto?"_

Herald shook his head, backing away. "I am sorry, I don't understand."

The man sighed, shifting the heavy looking, black duffle bag on his shoulder. "I should have known." He said in heavily accented English, "It's always a damn Brit...you are Herald Issen, are you not?"

"I...I am..." Herald managed to squeak, casting a look at the other two stern looking men, "Can I help you with something?"

The man gave a short nod. "You were expecting us?"

Herald stared at them. "You...you are the packages? But I thought that you'd be...well, be something else actually."

The man motioned behind him with a jerk of his head. "We are here to take care of situation. I am Leonardo," he motioned to the black and the other white, "And they are Massimo and Roberto."

Herald glanced at the black man, Massimo, finally able to place the accents with the aid of the names. "You are all Italian? All of you?"

Leonardo shrugged, knowing full well what Herald was implying about Massimo. "Slave trade. Ancestors were born in Italy and his family remained there. He doesn't speak much English; in fact, he doesn't speak much at all. Neither does Roberto."

Herald glanced at the thinner looking man. Roberto had long, bleached hair and pale green eyes. He was the shortest of the group, but seemed to be able to hold his own weight judging by the massive case he carried on his back. However, both Roberto and Leonardo were dwarfed by the huge black man that towered above any in the terminal. A distinctive scar ran from one side of Massimo's face to the other in a jagged, downward diagonal that cut across his right eye, his nose, and the corner of his mouth. Bulging muscles rippled out from the tight black shirt and leather jacket, the dark colors matching that of his eyes and short braided hair.

Herald nodded nervously at the other two. "How are you doing?"

Massimo grunted and Roberto answered with a curt. "_Benissimo._"

Leonardo laughed at the confused look on Herald's face. "He said he was fine, Mr. Issen. Perhaps you should learn some Italian...expand your horizons."

Herald let the barb go by, not wanting to anger the clearly stronger men. "My office is this way, gentlemen. We can talk there." He reached for the bag at Massimo's feet. "Here, let me take your bags."

Before Herald's hand could even touch the bag, another clamped down around it, easily lifting it up and back. Massimo jerked Herald forward, bending down until they were nearly nose to nose.

"_Non tocca, capisci...Do not touch, understand?"_ He growled his voice amazingly quiet for such a huge person. Herald winced as Massimo's grip tightened.

"Massimo." Leonard said, starting to walk away. "_Arresto._"

Massimo immediately released Herald's bruising hand, picking his bag up and walking away without a second glance in Herald's direction. Roberto hung back for a moment, casting the British man a superior look.

"We will contact you when time comes." He said slowly. "Until then, _arrivederci_." Roberto turned sharply on his heel and quickly strode after his two companions.

Herald stared after them warily, nursing his bruising wrist. Whatever those men had planned, he was sure that it wasn't at all pleasant. Turning away from the now empty gate, Herald slowly walked back to his office, so enwrapped in his thoughts that he didn't notice the dark shadow watching his progression.

"And what might you be up to, Harry?" Duo said to himself, pulling out his vid communicator and slipping back into the men's bathroom.

* * *

Leonardo entered the tiny cab waiting at the curb of the airport pick-up area, giving directions to the cabbie as his partners climbed in, Roberto sitting in the back beside him while Massimo crunched in alongside the cabbie. Even before they pulled away from the curb, Leonardo had his cell phone out, pressing the speed dial for the only number he had. 

_"What?"_ said the answering voice.

Leonardo spoke quickly. "The Preventers have an agent stationed at the airport. He saw our arrival and meeting with Issen."

_"Has he reported it yet?"_

"Undoubtedly. Issen will be taken in for questioning very soon. He believes we're here to protect him from the government."

_"I have my men in place. He knows only what he needs to and will break easily. This is good Find the Peacecraft woman, or her body, I don't care which. Kill anyone else with her."_

"Right away, sir." Leonardo hung up the phone, leaning forward towards the cabbie. "_Vamos."

* * *

_

_Alright! Done with another chapter! BTW, if you scuba dive and live in San Antonio, drop me an email...we can go diving together sometime. Also, if you're wondering and/or confused by the amount of foreign language, don't be. Anything that you could figure out by reading the rest of the sentence, I translated._

_**Thanks for reading! Please R&R!**_


	6. Chapter 6

**_Jungle Rot_**

**_By: Wildfire Sky_**

_Another chapter in what I hope turns out to be a good fic. A couple of things to address right here, right now. I am not perfect, especially when it comes to languages. I know only two: English and Ebonics. If my translations are a little off, or even if I have the wrong dialect completely, you'll have to pardon me...I'm trying my best. Secondly, I would like to say that I've asked for some help in this matter of a language barrier. Hopefully with their help, things will go better for everyone._

_**Jungle Rot**_

_**Chapter Six

* * *

**_

Golden eyes stared curiously at the large metal invader of the jungle, the dark head tilted to one side as it observed it from a cautious distance. He was the unchallenged ruler of this part of the Amazon, a merciless killing machine that hunted with ruthless efficiency, and armed with an arsenal of razor sharp teeth and long dangerous claws. The natives knew him as only a demon that roamed during the night, striking unexpectedly at both cattle and humans. Many times, he'd found himself hunted, but easily turned the tables on the creatures that dared to challenge him.

The black panther was enormous compared to the others that shared the Amazon. At the nape of his neck, his fur bunched to give him a small mane and making him seem even bigger. Able to tackle a river crocodile, the panther was a formidable enemy to all...and, at the moment, he was very hungry.

The panther moved closer to the destroyed airplane, trying to inhale the remains of any scent that wasn't washed away by the passing rains. He moved around to the open front, nimbly climbing inside and keeping perfect balance as he walked, despite the instability of the aircraft remains. He paused at the large propeller, pressing closer at the smell of the blood that stained it. Protected by the metal around it, the blood was still fresh and easy to pick up.

Turning quickly, the panther jumped down from the cabin, landing lightly in the mud below. Breathing deep, the panther slowly made his way away from the cabin and towards the cockpit further away. Once again, it paused, sniffing lightly...slowly its ears perked up, a delightful sensation running through him. There were two...two injured creatures in the forest. The panther barely gave the corpse of the pilot a passing glance as it quickly headed into the surrounding jungle, ears forward as it stalked into the darkness of the Amazon.

He'd tasted the flesh of a man before...many times before...and to know that there were two in his jungle was too good of an opportunity to pass up. His paced increased as he caught the faint smell of the injured further ahead. He would hunt them, and bide his time...then, when the moment was just right, he would strike and take down the stronger one first. His mouth began to water at the promise of sinking his well cared for killing tools into flesh and bone, feasting on a spread that he'd never had before.

Overhead, primates screamed in terror and warning as their master passed below, ignoring their annoying screeches of surprise. He wasn't hunting them today, no...he was hunting something much more challenging and much more fun. Once he found them, he would wait for the cover of darkness...the perfect time to kill.

Oh yes, he'd tasted man before.

And he had enjoyed it.

* * *

Heero cast a sideways look at Relena, insuring that she was indeed still sleeping. The rain had stopped nearly half an hour ago, leaving the air feeling humid and suffocating. As soon as the last rain drop fell, he'd gone out to relieve himself and take a look at their surroundings. The jungle, unfortunately, was like a broken record, the same thing over and over again. He couldn't get a sense of direction, and barely a sense of time thanks to the thick, overhead canopy.

The rain hadn't done much damage, despite the force of it. It seemed that the trees had adapted well to the onslaught of rain, even the animals had recovered from the shock of the sudden and vicious downpour. Overhead, a beautiful, multicolored macaw flapped it wings as it perched on a lower branch, letting out a loud squawk of displeasure in Heero's presence.

Ignoring the bird, Heero turned and moved back into the overhang, carefully maneuvering around the sleeping Relena. He quietly picked up the discarded duffle bag and unzipped it, digging through the contents inside. Pulling out the small roll of bandages inside, he once again moved outside of the temporary dwelling and climbed to the top of it so he'd be able to work and keep an eye out on their surroundings.

Slowly and gently, he pulled up the soaked side of his shirt, tenderly maneuvering it over the jagged piece of shrapnel that was currently embedded in his side. He grimaced slightly as his fingers grazed over the metal, again thanking whatever higher being happened to take an interest in him these past two days. He knew from the lack of extreme blinding pain – and the fact that he was still alive – the metal had missed anything vital. But in the back of Heero's mind dwelled the uncomfortable fact that the wound was a fatal one if he didn't seek medical attention...and soon. The only thing keeping him from bleeding out was the metal itself, acting as a sort of plug to stem the blood flow. But even that plug didn't prevent generous amounts of blood from seeping out.

Heero wasn't afraid of death, in fact, at times, he found himself embracing the idea that his life would be ended, but he was afraid for Relena...and that was the only thing that kept him from putting a bullet in his mouth years ago. He tried to tell himself that Relena would be just fine if he died, that she would move on with her life as she should, never again thinking about the soulless killing machine that fate had miraculously brought together. He told himself it would be a good thing if she wasn't always worried about his well-being.

At least...that's what he thought before.

It was only a month ago that his whole outlook on their relationship took a drastic change. He'd been sitting in his Preventers office, empty beer bottles on his desk and the pistol pressed up against the underside of his chin. He was severely depressed that day, because of what he now realized was a complete misunderstanding...a kiss between Relena and another that he thought to mean something more than it did...it made him come to terms with his relationship faster than he'd wanted to. He'd stumbled back to his office last that night, half drunk and carrying another half-empty case, angry and hell-bent on truly forcing Relena from his mind. It was obvious he hadn't been thinking that night as he rammed a clip into his Beretta and put it beneath his chin.

He'd closed his eyes and pulled back on the hammer of the gun, taking a deep breath as his finger started to squeeze the trigger. But before he could get the shot off, a hand had enveloped his own, his eyes snapping open to drown in the soft, aquamarine eyes of the very woman he was going to kill himself over. When he saw the look on her face, the loyal, caring look that he'd always craved, he lowered the gun, releasing the hammer and letting it drop to the floor. They'd stared at each other before Relena wrapped him into a tight hug, pressing his face against her chest. No words were exchanged...none were needed. She'd simply hugged him, stood up, and left his office, leaving him in a dumbfounded and guilty stupor.

Heero frowned slightly...even more evidence on how Relena clouded his mind! In the past, he would have shoved her away and pulled the trigger anyways, but now...now he considered _her_ feelings when before he didn't give a damn about anyone person. Heero clenched one hand into a fist, slamming it against the hard stone. Damn her and her ability to toy with his emotions! He should have finished her off when he had the chance. It was all Maxwell's fault...

Heero glowered. Duo always seemed to be able to royally screw him over when it came to such fragile things like Relena. He couldn't figure out exactly _how_ Duo was able to, but once he did he'd put a stop to it!

A jab of sharp pain drew Heero back from plotting numerous ways on how to bodily injure Duo but not leave any evidence. He glanced down at the shrapnel, debating with himself whether or not to remove it. He wanted to get to the Amazon River as soon as possible...it was their best chance for a rescue rather than in the dense jungle. He'd heard too many horror stories of lost planes and people that were never found again, no matter how extensive the search. But this injury would slow him down, and having to move with a piece of metal halfway through him would make things any better. Of course, if he removed it he was guaranteed to infect it with the amount of bacteria and insects that roamed this place. He could already see the start of it festering around the wound.

Shaking his head despairingly, Heero opted to leave in the metal and risk taking longer that he wanted, rather than die a slow and horrible death in the middle of the Amazon that would no doubt kill Relena too.

_Damn it! There I go caring about her again! I have _got_ to get her out of my head!_

He viciously jerked out a length of bandage from the roll, cautiously starting to wrap it around his lower chest, careful to avoid jarring the metal and forcing it in deeper. Who knew how unsanitary the metal was? He'd just finished wrapping the wound when a strong bout of coughing over took him. He bent over painfully, clutching his side as he body rocked with the powering coughs. Droplets of blood splattered onto the rock. _Shit...not good..._

"Heero? Are you alright?"

Heero tried to straighten, but the pain was too great. He could almost feel Relena's worried gaze from below, and he felt the overwhelming urge to reassure her. When the coughing finally stopped, he wiped his mouth and sat up, glaring down at the anxious Relena. At the harsh look directed at her, Relena's worry turned to that of annoyance.

"Well excuse me for being a little bit worried, Heero!" she snapped, hands on her hips, "May I ask what you're doing way up there?"

Heero pointedly ignored the question, instead standing up and moving towards the slope he used to climb up. Jumping the last few feet, he landed nimbly in front of her, refusing to let his face twist into a grimace of pain.

"What are you doing up?" he growled, annoyed that he'd been caught before he was able to return the bandages. "I told you to get some rest."

Relena huffed, her arms crossing in front of her chest. "First of all, Heero dear, you are not the boss, I am...and secondly, you told me to rest until the rain stop. Guess what. It has, and right now, it's really hot so I would love to hear what your next move is. Unless, of course, you plan on having us sleep with bug until help arrives."

Heero's lip curled into a snarl at her sassy quips. This washy he liked working alone...your partner always wanted to know your every thought. He wanted to tell her to just be quiet and let him make the decisions, but he knew, without a single, utter doubt...she would explode.

"We're going to the river." He said, brushing past her and into the overhang. Blocking the bag with his body, he quickly slipped the bandage roll back into the duffle. He didn't want her to know about his injury...he absolutely hated it when she misdirected her worry towards his well-being instead of herself. Whenever she did, it only put her at a greater risk to be hurt or killed.

Relena stared at him, watching as he shuffled about in the overhang. "The river? Why?"

Heero tossed the strap over his head, letting the duffle bag hang against his back. He quickly checked his pistol, making sure the clip was full and undamaged and the safety on, before stuffing it back into his pants. "Transport boats travel the Amazon River daily, and water is the first place a search team would look." He stepped out from the overhang and stood in front of Relena. "Ready?"

The young Peacecraft daughter let her eyes stray to the large stain on Heero's shirt before handing him his jacket and tying her own around her waist. She wanted to ask him about it, unsure of whether the blood really was from the pilot or a real injury. But even in their current situation, he'd never tell her more than she needed to know.

_Ugh! He can be such an asshole sometimes!_ She thought bitterly as she fell into step with him. She was sure that her thoughts were justified...after all, only an asshole would set your nerve endings on fire with the hottest kiss of your life...and then push you away and tell you it was a mistake. Relena felt the burning desire to confront him about it and try and find a damn good reason of why he did it.

Heero was straying further ahead, his head moving from side to side as he scanned the forest for whatever predators might be lurking. She watched his back absently, growing more and more frustrated with his declination to talk. Damn it, she was hurt and scared! A few words of wisdom from the man she'd always fawned over wouldn't cause the universe to implode. She felt lonely despite the fact that she had a companion walking right next to her.

_Gurgggle..._

Relena paused, her face flushing as Heero stopped at turned towards her, an eyebrow quirked in question. Her mouth moved, trying to formulate an explanation when another _gurgle_ sounded. This time, Heero visibly winced, turning away swiftly to hide his embarrassment.

Relena sighed. Food...if they didn't find something to eat, they'd starve to death before help ever came. Coughing lightly, Heero glanced back over his shoulder, his face expressionless as he observed her.

"I think we should find some food."

_Obviously, the intelligence of men knows no bounds..._Relena thought sarcastically as she moved up next to Heero, glancing at the bushes around them. "Do you know what we can eat?"

Heero shrugged one shoulder, moving towards a gathering of dark red berries and studying them carefully. "Nothing that gets you sick."

Relena glowered. _Self-centered asshole...

* * *

_

Lady Une sat at the head of the conference table, trying to fight off a growing headache. Gathered around her were five very distressed looking people, each one avoiding looking at the furious face of Milliardo Peacecraft. Having flown in from Mars in record breaking time, and leaving behind Noin and his child, Milliardo was obviously not in the best of moods right now...in fact, he looked as though he was seriously considering shooting someone – namely a certain Japanese Gundam Pilot. Also sitting at the table was the usual crowd when it came to Relena's safety – Wufei, Sally, Trowa, and Quatre.

"Duo," She said, rubbing at her temples as she regarded the video image of him on the large conference screen, "How are you doing with Mr. Issen?"

Duo, who was still located in Buenos Aires – and once again in the men's bathroom – pulled a grin on his face as he replied, "Ol' Harry had a meeting today with a group of thugs. Italian mob by the looks of them. They didn't seem to like each other..."

"You think they're connected with Relena's disappearance?" Sally asked quietly, already knowing the answer from the shadow that fell over Duo's face.

"Most likely." Duo scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "I know I'm supposed to get clearance...but I tapped Herald's phone line and put a trace on his emails. Nothing overly suspicious yet, but that's probably because he's at the bottom of the totem pole."

Wufei nodded in agreement. "From his file, it seems to me like the man's a complete moron. No one in their right mind would give him any sort of influence in their operation." He slid a small folder across to Une. "Maxwell was actually able to do some good this time. These are the photographs of the three suspects in questions that he was able to take from his new bathroom abode..."

"Hey!"

"I had the photographs compared with our database," Wufei continued, ignoring Duo's offended outburst. "The one closest to Mr. Issen is Leonardo Julius, son of Gabriele Julius the late representative of the southern Italian providences. He was killed just before the Mariemaia coup in a drive-by shooting. Accidental death."

Trowa closed his eyes in thought. "He's the leader of the three, despite how the big one looks. No doubt his past and his inherited wealth are major influences."

"What about the other two?" Une asked, "I'm especially interested in the Black man. He seems to be one of the bigger threats we'll have to deal with if things come to that."

Wufei snorted in contempt. "It already has. The large one is named Massimo, no last name given. Ancestors were African slaves who remained in Italy. The rest of his history is unknown. His purpose, from what I can tell, is simply muscle and intimidation. The last one is Roberto Benifico, the only one with real connections to the mob. He used to be the right hand man until he fell out of favor when he botched a hit and wound up in jail. His arrest led to a raid of one of the mob's shipyards where they sold and transported drugs. The only reason he's still alive is because he received an important job offer."

"Relena." Quatre said, confirming Wufei's statement. "And Leonardo probably arranged the whole thing."

Duo smirked victoriously. "So this Leonardo guy is the one behind it all? Great! Give me fifteen hours and I'll have this bastard in custody."

At that moment, the conference doors opened admitting a muscular, bearded man dressed in an all black uniform and boots. Hiding his light brown hair was a dark beret, trimmed with red and a red, flipped triangle badge in its center. He strode into the room confidently, pulling off the dark sunglasses that hid his eyes. He made no move to conceal the standard issued Beretta holstered at his side as he threw a snappy salute, his heels coming together as he stood rod straight, his silver eyes forward and unwavering.

"First Lieutenant Becan reporting as ordered, ma'am!" he said, his voice clear and precise.

The other occupants stared at him. Finally, Zechs, who had up to this point remained in a brooding silence, spoke. "Who the hell are you?"

The lieutenant remained saluting, waiting for the at-ease. "Sir! First Lieutenant Sean Becan, Alpha Team of the Preventers Special Tactics Unit. Reporting as requested by Head Commander Une, sir."

Five pairs of eyes shifted to Une, waiting for an explanation. The commander told the lieutenant to relax before turning to her subordinates. Sean quickly took the empty seat next to Trowa, throwing a curt nod the other occupants.

"Lieutenant," Une said, motioning towards the newcomer, "Why don't you explain what you and your unit does."

Sean nodded obediently. "Yes, ma'am. The Special Tactics Unit is a division of the Preventers responsible and excelling in information gathering, search and rescue operations, riot control, anti-terrorism, and any other extreme or otherwise dangerous operations that the Preventers see fit to assign us. On occasion, we are also responsible for the safety and care of one, Vice Foreign Minister Relena Dorlain, should Head of Security request." Sean beamed, "And may I say, our record so far is excellent."

Quatre looked at Une questioningly. "I didn't realize the Preventers had an elite unit. When were they organized?"

"You'd have to ask Heero that." Une said, her voice a little strained. "He'd already had it formed an organized long before he ever approached me with the proposal to make it an official Preventers unit. He had Relena's backing, although I'm sure she didn't know what she was signing at the time."

Zechs turned three shades dark red. "So not only does he get her lost, he's been _using_ her?"

Une sighed. "I wouldn't exactly put it like that, but yes..."

Sean held up a hand, glancing at Milliardo worriedly. "Excuse me, Commander, but Lieutenant Colonel Heero Yuy is not lost. In fact, the tracking device we had placed in his luggage is still functioning properly. We have their exact location and are ready to move in as soon as you give the word."

"Wait a minute." Wufei said, drawing everyone's attention back to the video screen. "First of all, Lieutenant, it was a plane _crash_, not a landing. Second of all, how do we even know they're still alive?"

"Because," Duo said, his voice soft, "Heero Yuy won't ever let anything happen to her...he can't."

* * *

_

* * *

_

_Tada! Look, another character for you guys to wonder over! And **no**, I'm not going to be cliché and have this guy be the person that planned everything. First of all, that's been done over and over again, and second of all, he's in **Heero's** unit. For Pete's sake, if he can create an elaborate and high tech security system, why in Hell couldn't he perform a very through background check? Yea...that's right..._

_Oh, and another thing. Don't be afraid to crticize me and tell me things. That's how I improve as an author, through your suggestions. I'm not going to snap at you because you don't like something. I'll just take into consideration what you say and see if it's actually something I need to improve on. Believe me, I'm a nice person...I think it's rude to yell at someone because of their opinion...I may ignore it, but I won't hold it against you. That's just wrong!_


	7. Chapter 7

**_Jungle Rot_**

**_By: Wildfire Sky_**

_Now I'm sure you're all wondering, what the hell happened to the updates? Funny story. I tried to install a new hard drive on my computer, and, unfortunately, it ended up frying my computer. So, I spent all of this time trying to figure out how to get it up and running. Luckily, I was smart enough to backup my story files onto disk (thank God), so at least my story is saved. Now then, please enjoy!_

**_Jungle Rot_**

**_Chapter Seven

* * *

_**

Leonardo leaned back into the stiff hotel couch, his gray eyes sliding closed for a moment of reprieve. The journey from Buenos Aires to the speck of a city Trinidad had been a long and tiring ride. He couldn't understand why they weren't simply sent from Italy to Trinidad in the first place, but the mind of his leader was a strange one that he didn't dare venture into. Despite being a rich, spoiled child, he'd been in the Italian rebel militia long enough to know when to back off and let someone else take the reins. So, he'd taken the tickets, met with that idiot of a Brit, and then traveled from the airport to another private strip where their other air ride was waiting.

_Whetstone…_that was the only thing the pilot said as far as his name went. A short, stocky fellow from Western Europe who had become their private pilot for both the plane and helicopter they would be taking into the Amazon. Personally, Leonardo didn't trust the man. The mustached man had a greedy gleam in his eye that spoke in volumes about his character, and when he stuck a thick cigar in his mouth, chewing on the unlit roll, Leonardo's observations were confirmed. The entire plane ride, Whetstone sat up front, chewing on his cigar until it was no more than a stub, grumbling and yapping about this and that from take off until landing. At the hotel they parted ways, Whetstone to find more 'pleasurable' company, and himself and his partners to get some sleep for the upcoming day.

Which brought him to the present. Massimo and Roberto had taken claim to the two single beds, curling up beneath the sheets and falling into a deep slumber. They knew Leonardo well enough to do such an act without a danger of reprimand from their boss. Leonardo hated sleeping in beds, preferring the couch. A couch is the last place a nighttime assassin would look. They'd shoot the bed first and never take into account that the occupant was resting on such an uncomfortable object.

A tight vibration at his hip jerked Leonardo upright as he snatched the cell phone from his hip and flipped it open. "Leonardo."

_"Issen's been arrested in Buenos Aires and is currently being interrogated."_

Leonardo nodded despite the fact that the caller couldn't see him. "Is he talking?"

_"With out a doubt. As far as he knows, you're still in Buenos Aires and he's still waiting for contact from you. By the time they follow up on him and discover that you're gone, the girl will be dead and you'll be standing at my desk receiving payment."_

"So we have at least a two day jump on the Preventers?"

_"Three, with the dead ends I had placed. When they check the hotel records, you'll still be checked in."_

"Then we proceed tomorrow as planned, sir." Leonardo said, sitting straighter. "Our views will be realized and justice will be served."

There was a long pause, the air seeming to freeze with the heavy silence emitting from the phone. Then, a low voice hissed through the receiver, his cold voice causing Leonardo to stiffen involuntarily.

_"Justice? What the hell would you know about justice? These views that you speak of are wrong and tainted. Don't you dare presume to know what my views are and how I serve justice."_ Then, a click and a dial tone.

Leonardo stared at his cell phone in surprise, his eyes locked on the flashing words: _call ended…_He just didn't understand the man, not one little bit. Up until that point Leonardo was positive that the two of them had _something_ in common. Justice to be served on Vice Foreign Minister Dorlain. After all, he was the one who approached Leonardo, promising that his views would come true if he followed him.

Leonardo walked out onto the balcony, staring across the parking lot and into another's hotel room. A man and woman undressing each other in the lamp light, their bodies intertwined in a passionate dance of sexuality. Even as they collapsed onto the bed and the woman came up solely, looking down with a sensual smile on her face, Leonardo felt no arousal, no care for what the couple was doing. He would even go so far as to guess that the woman was the other man's mistress.

Lighting a cigarette, Leonardo took a small drag, watching the smoke play in the small breeze as it dissipated. Justice to Leonardo was killing the Vice Foreign Minister and displaying her body for all to see…just like she condemned the lives of fallen soldiers, calling their beliefs foolish. Calling his family foolish. So much had they sacrificed – he had sacrificed – in the face of a 'fool's war'. A brother's glory of death in battle, a grieving mother of a broken heart, a father's political career, and his honor. All were taken from him with the few simple words uttered from that woman's mouth. He was alone now. No soldier would expose his past for fear of being shunned by society. There was no one to talk to about his pain and sorrow. Until he met _him_. The man was sympathetic to him, took him in and gave him an outlet for his anger.

_Let not the sacrifice be forgotten_. _Embrace the mistakes of the past and make them good. Condemn not the soldier, but the man who sent him into battle. Hate not the fighter, but hate the one who fears him. Cowardice is a sin…and she is a coward._

Leonardo took another pull, releasing the smoke with a heavy sigh. He'd learned those words from heart, had them recited to him over and over as the man broke him of his snobbish wanting and prepared him for the task at hand.

_Grief is strength._ He said that over and over. _Use it to destroy who gave it to you._

The man…always shadowed in a darkness that seemed to surround him no matter where he was. The man known only as Lex. Nothing more. A name that you never said aloud unless you were facing him and he gave you permission. His past, strange and unknown, something that Leonardo shied away from.

Flicking the still burning butt of his cigarette angrily, Leonardo continued to watch the woman making love. Let him have his secrets. As soon as this was over, Leonardo would collect and live without disturbance or pain for away from the plague of politics. He would inhabit his father's small private land miles away from civilization and never return to the outside world. Never speak or think of Lex again.

Returning inside the room, Leonardo laid down on the couch, curling up beneath the blanket and staring at the pool of moonlight that cascaded in from the open curtains, urging sleep. As his eyes slid closed, he nodded to himself.

_Secrets were for cowards'…cowardice is a sin…

* * *

_

Relena paused, her hand coming up to caressed her aching belly as she leaned against the nearest tree, her breathing labored. It would have been more satisfying if Heero were throwing up as much as she was, but no, the damn Perfect Soldier just stopped occasionally and closed his eyes, then moved on as though nothing had happened. But Relena knew better, she knew that he was in as much agony as she was or else he would never bother to stop.

_Serves him right!_ Relena declared to herself as Heero did lean against a tree this time. Mr. Macho had served them both up a bunch of fresh and delicious 'puke-berries' – as Relena so aptly named them. She couldn't help but wonder why the tasted to weird until she'd pulled a half eaten one away from her mouth to come face to face with a swarm of tiny maggots. Her scream had hurt even _his_ ears. Now they were both struggling along, in nauseous pain as they moved through the fog filled jungle.

The floor gave slightly as she stepped forward and she looked down, retracting her foot from a pool of sludge. She glanced up at Heero, noting uncomfortably that the knee-high fog seemed to become increasingly thicker as the darkening sky began to light. Heero stared back at her for a moment before pushing himself away from the tree.

"Relena." Heero said. "Let's go." He turned away and started forward. When Relena didn't follow immediately, he turned back and made his way towards her. Relena was standing shock still, her mouth working but with no sound, her blue eye wide with some unspoken horror. Reaching out a grabbing her arm gently, Heero gave her a little shake.

"Relena?"

Relena's eyes remained riveted on Heero's shoulder. And the enormous, furry black spider perched on it. The spider stared back at her with eight, very visible eyes as if daring her to ruin the surprise he had in store for his current host. Long fangs moved and dripped, with what Relena assumed was venom, as it slowly raised and lowered each leg, pulling its large body completely over Heero's shoulder.

She began to tremble. "He…Heero…"

"What?" he demanded, truly beginning to worry. Was she going into some sort of post-traumatic shock? He brought his other arm up, giving Relena a firmer shake. "What's the matter with you?"

Relena could only stare as the spider's legs latched onto the fabric of Heero's jacket, swaying with each shake. Finally, she managed to raise a finger and point. Heero's eyes slowly followed her finger. For a moment, he and the spider stared at each other, frozen. Then, it was like a bomb went off. The spider let out an audible hiss, launching itself at Heero face, legs spread in attack, leaving his fangs exposed and bared for penetration of flesh and injection of venom. Heero gave a low snarl at the same time, his gun flying out to connect with the spider's body. There was a tiny scream as the spider flew straight into the tree Heero formally occupied, its crumpled body sliding down into the fog and followed by a well placed bullet.

"Hn." Heero grunted, replacing his weapon and glaring at Relena accusingly. "Thanks for warning me."

Relena turned red. "Sorry. It's just that…well; I've never seen a spider that big. But Heero, shooting it? Was that really necessary?"

This time Heero's face slowly burned as he mumbled something that sounded distinctly like: I hate spiders. He quickly gathered himself, nodding over his shoulder. "There's some wetland further in, probably caused by the flood. Hopefully it's an open area that we can rest in for awhile and not have to worry about any other visitors."

Relena smiled to herself as she stepped in line next to Heero. For a moment they walked together in silence, each possessed by their own thoughts. Relena's distinctly dwelled on her relationship with Heero and the current situation she'd found herself in. She didn't need to be told that they were currently treading on very dangerous ground, both metaphorically and literally. One wrong move by either of them and death would come swiftly and painfully. No doubt, she would have been dead had Heero not been there with her these past three days…

But at the back of her mind, she knew all was not well. Yesterday, she had watched him pull out the bandages, pretending to be asleep so as not anger or surprise him. That was one of his more sensitive traits, admitting that he needed help, never mind actually asking for it. It had only confirmed her fears that Heero's injuries were worse that he let on. He was always talking about how they would need to trust each other now and how such little things could be the end for them both. So why wasn't he taking his own advice?

Unconsciously, she moved closer to him, fearing not her surroundings, but the safety on the one she cared for. Heero remained stiff and alert next to her, his eyes constantly sweeping the surrounding jungle for any signs of hostility, whether animal or human. Relena stared at him as they walked, studying his stern features. The beginning of a beard was showing on his normally clean-shaven face, circles of weariness forming beneath his eyes, the various cuts and bruises just beginning their repairs. She wanted to touch his face, truly touch it and see his reaction. She didn't want to kiss him in the dark; she wanted to kiss him in the bright sun, in a beautiful setting, with no worries of death.

Slowly, cautiously, she intertwined their arms, her hand coming down to capture his. She could feel Heero's arm tighten instinctively in the distinct need to pull away from human contact. She merely held his tighter, leaning her head against his shoulder and staring straight ahead, not wanting to meet the heated gaze that she knew was directed at her.

Heero was truly fighting with in himself, not to pull away, but to embrace her…to give into male animal instincts and take what was offered to him. His heart nearly stopped when she leaned against him, her face snuggling against his arm. _This is completely inappropriate!_ His mind screamed at him. He shook his head, trying to clear the webs that suddenly appeared, glaring down at Relena accusingly. She was doing it again, clouding his mind with her…her…_womanness!_ How was he supposed to concentrate with her snuggling up against him all the time? Smelling like a fresh morning…and so soft…

Heero resisted the urge to bang his head against the nearest tree. _Concentrate you moron! Your mission is to get her to safety, nothing else. You already screwed up once, don't let that happen again!_

"Relena…" Heero began, closing his eyes to gather himself, "Stop."

Relena froze; bring them both to a short stop in the middle of the jungle. Overhead a flock of macaws perched on the thin branches of a tree, staring down at them curiously as they cried into the wind. Insects settled around them in a thick swarm, their needle-like noses piercing skin and drinking. But Relena didn't care…something else was hurting her…

"Why?" she asked, her eyes on the ground.

Heero swallowed, "Because we just can't. You're my boss." He quickly extracted his arm from her grip. "It's against regulations for me to…"

"_Regulations?_" Relena fumed, finally turning towards him with narrow eyes, "We're in the middle of the Amazon, Heero Yuy! Who cares about regulations?"

Heero glared back at her, refusing to bow down to her anger. "I will have to file a report about this."

"Have you ever heard of _omitting_?" Relena retorted in exasperation. "I'm pretty sure no one would notice if you left out some of our interactions."

Shaking his head firmly, Heero moved to escape the vicious swarm of mosquitoes. Damn it, they didn't look so annoying on the Discovery Channel! He didn't get more than a few steps before he felt a firm hand grip his jacket, trying to pull him to a stop. He paused, turning slightly to stare at her out of the corner of his eye. He couldn't stop to tight feeling that formed in his gut as he observed her. Her face was smudged with drying mud, her normally tame hair now wild looking, fraying from the mix of rain and heat. Her face was cut and bruised, her lips swollen, her eyes tired…and yet, she was the most beautiful person on Earth. Despite the fact that she looked like she'd just back from a battlefield, his attraction to her spiked rapidly.

And her angry expression only made things worse.

Sighing inwardly, Heero extended his hand. "We need to keep going. You can smell the water, so it must be close."

Relena's glare moved from the offending hand to Heero's face, locking with his deep Prussian eyes. "When were you going to tell me about your injury?"

A muscle in Heero's face twitched, his hand dropping away to his side.

"I though you said we need to work together, Heero…"

The hand clenched, his eyes narrowing. "Relena…"

"How can we work together if you won't even tell me what's going on?" Tears of anger were beginning to form in the corners of Relena's eyes. "How can I _believe_ in you?"

Heero winced again, a stab of pain piercing through his heart…his soul. That was a low blow, but one that most would agree he deserved. She was right in every way, he was a hypocrite, a liar…but what she didn't realize was that it was for her own good. Just seeing her reaction now was enough evidence to point to it. She would spend precious time trying to help him…time that should be used to save _her_, not a doomed man. He knew. He knew that if he told her he was dying, then it was over for both of them. Even though he wanted to tell her so bad, tell her all of the things that plagued his dreams ever since he'd met her…it would end up hurting her further when the time did come for her to say good bye. Better that she think he didn't care for her, at least not how she wanted to be cared for.

"Don't worry about it." He managed to grind out, stepping back, "I don't need you whining over me because of a little scratch."

Relena blinked at the harsh words, her anger melting away to hurt. He watched her with bitter love as she lowered her gaze to the ground, staring at it pointedly, as if she was unsure of herself. He wanted to lift her chin up, press his lips against hers again, apologize and let her care for him like he wanted her to. However, despite the romantic glamour of it all, dying in each other's arms in the middle of the jungle was not his cup of tea.

Extending his hand once again, he managed to call out her name. As her eyes fell on his hand, the tears finally spilled. He ignored it all.

"Ready?"

Straightening to her full height, Relena locked gazes with him a final time before shoving his hand aside and storming forward. Heero clenched his teeth briefly, before following and returning to his previous activity of scanning the jungle, trying his damnest not to feel anything…

And failing miserably.

* * *

The panther climbed to the top of the rocky outcropping, his keen eyes sweeping his kingdom for any signs of the intruders-turned-meals. Bending his head down, he sniffed the small splatter of blood that, although dry, was still fresh to him. He followed the scent down the rocks and into the overhang, sniffing about. They'd laid here…both of them…

Shivers of pleasure streamed down the panther's slick body. His mouth began to water in anticipation of a glorious kill. His claws would tear man flesh again; his mouth would overflow with their blood.

A low rumble in the distance made the panther raise his head, tilting it curiously. The winds had changed once again…the cold preceding another coming storm. He enjoyed the rain, even though it washed away the smells. It made things interesting, more challenging, which only made the kill that more exciting to him. Besides, he was already on the trail of his prey; the rain would hinder them while he continued forward. By storm's end, he'll be asleep, satisfied and with a full stomach.

* * *

_I don't want to hear it! Damn it, I know I screwed up, but what can I say? I FRIED MY FRIGGIN HARDDRIVE! It's kaput! Gone! Adios amigos! Sayonara baby! Good-bye! Can I say it any clearer? This is a brand new drive. Please R&R, and if you're a fan of "The Guardian" I'm working on that one as we speak…or as you read…or as you stop reading…WHATEVER!_

_Remember to read and review!_


	8. Chapter 8

_**Jungle Rot **_

_**By: Wildfire Sky**_

_Whoot! FINALLY! AT LAST! My fic has been put into a C2! Do you know how long I've been waiting for this moment? Quite a while. Since review number 20 actually…so thanks to "Battered Wings", it's appreciated. Very much so._

_Oh yea…the rest of you are welcome to jump on the band wagon too…any time now…_

_**Jungle Rot**_

_**Chapter Eight

* * *

**_

Lieutenant Becan leaned back against the vibrating walls of the transport helicopter, one of two of the only working helicopters at the Buenos Aires Preventer division that were ready for immediate use. He sat on the lip of the helicopter's door, watching as his subordinates loaded supplies on the other copper and checked their own equipment. They seemed carefree, the men embarking on this most important expedition into the middle of nowhere, but he could tell that inside they were all anxious about it. This wasn't some simple riot control or terrorist intervention job; two important lives were at stake…lives that each soldier knew, whether it was one or the other, personally.

"Lieutenant." Becan looked up, his eyes sliding over towards the pilot who was pointing at his headset. "You have an incoming message, sir. It's from Special Agent Maxwell."

Becan blinked, removing the headset by the door and placing it over his head. "Becan."

_"Hey there, lieutenant, just making sure you hadn't left without us!"_ Duo's voice came through loud and clear, despite the hum of the warming engines of the helicopter.

Again, Becan blinked, an eyebrow raised. "Excuse me, sir, 'us'?"

_"Special Agent Chang and I will be accompanying you into the Amazon. Hope there's no problem with that."_

Straightening, Becan frowned. "It's not necessary, sir. My unit can easily…"

_"Good! Then it's settled. See you in a few minutes."_

The connection ended, leaving Becan in a confused daze. What the hell just happened? Suddenly he was taking on two more? Maxwell he knew was in the area, but Chang was supposed to be tied up at Central and commanding the mission from there. How in the world was he able to gain permission from Commander Une, arrange a flight, actually make the five-hour flight, and then get here before his team departed, was completely beyond him. Strings, no doubt, had been pulled.

"Any problem, sir?" The pilot asked, his sunglasses preventing Becan from seeing his eyes.

Becan shook his head and leaned towards the pilot, yelling over the noise of the helicopter engines. "Do we have room for two more on board?"

The pilot and co-pilot glanced at each other before the pilot responded. "_Two_ more, lieutenant? As in two more passengers? Well, sure we do, but our flight authorization doesn't cover any extras…"

"Don't worry, you're covered." Without a doubt they were, although Maxwell could become extremely cocky and reckless, it was rare that he put the careers of fellow agents on the line before his own. "The agents will be here in a few minutes, are we ready to fly?"

"As soon as they're on board, sir." The pilot grinned, "Both coppers are loaded and ready for your command."

Glowering, Becan glanced at the roof door as it opened, revealing Wufei and Duo. He turned back to the pilot. "Agents Chang and Maxwell will be taking command once we take flight…"

"Whoa now!" Duo exclaimed, grinning brightly as he ducked inside the body of the helicopter along with Wufei. "We're not here to take anything, just to have a little fun. It's pretty boring here, and besides, I hear the Amazon is beautiful in the rainy season."

The pilot laughed heartily. "Beautiful, eh? Spoken like a true tourist."

As Wufei settled into his seat next to the other members, he looked at the pilot. "What do you mean?"

"The Amazon is a water wasteland right now, sir." Becan replied for the pilot as the man maneuvered the large machine from the rooftop, the second quickly following. "The only reason you might think it's beautiful is because of aerial pictures. Once you're on the ground, you're going to hate it. Bugs, snakes, really big cats, not to mention it's dark…" Becan glanced at their outfits, "Good thing you knew what to wear."

The co-pilot looked back. "Sirs, this flight will take approximately four to six hours before we're over the known crash site, and that's without refueling. Make yourselves comfortable."

"Four to six _hours_?" Duo exclaimed. "Why so long?"

The co-pilot shrugged apologetically. "Sorry, sir. These choppers haven't been equipped with the new engines yet. If we had them, the trip would be just under three hours, but as it is, the rebel forces are still too active to risk shipment quite yet."

Becan let a small smile cross his face as Duo flopped back, his arms crossed in a pout. Wufei calmly observed his sulking partner with complete indifference. He looked up at the sound of clinking metal, his eyes scanning over the assault rifle Becan held out to him.

"Newest jungle model, sir." Becan said as Wufei and Duo took the weapons, "They're configured especially for the jungle environment. The dampness won't make it jam, or worse, backfire on you. You can sit in a river for half and hour with that thing completely unprotected, and it will perform like you had it on dry land. Special models have a built in grenade launcher and night vision built into the scope. Real beauty, right?"

Duo exchanged a look with Wufei. "Uh…yea, sure."

"Will there be a problem crossing air space when we enter Brazil?" Wufei asked, settling his weapon against the helicopter wall. "We don't have any Preventer bases in that area yet."

The co-pilot looked back again. "Nor will it ever. The Brazilians can be remarkably stubborn when it comes to foreign involvement in their county's affairs." He grinned brightly, "Not to worry though sir, their radar is so primitive, we'll probably look like a flock of birds to them."

Wufei snorted lightly and leaned back against the helicopter sides, folding his hands behind his head and closing his eyes. "I certainly hope so. The last thing we need is for _two_ parties to go missing…"

* * *

Heero grated his teeth together as he sloshed through the waist high water of the swampy land that at one time had been an open plain. He unconsciously heard Relena's labored breathing, most likely tired from the long walk through the jungle and now through this. In all honestly, this expedition wasn't easy on him either, some reasons more obvious than others, but he had to keep on a brave face for the woman behind him. Holding his gun above his head to keep it dry, Heero's deep eyes swept the surrounding waters, well aware of the dangers that might lurk in the muddy depths.

There was a cry and a splash, causing Heero to tense in surprise before he turned. A wet, and miserable looking, Relena looked up at him from between soaked bangs. He stared down at her for a moment, before letting out a strained sigh and offering his hand. With timid embarrassment, Relena took it, let out a small gasp of surprise as Heero bodily lifted her from the water and catching her off balance. She hit warm flesh, suddenly finding her face pressed up against Heero's hard chest. A furious blush crossing her face, Relena slowly looked up, drowning in a sea of cold, endless blue. Even though they were waist deep in dark, muddy water and vegetation, she found herself enraptured by his piercing stare. It was Heero would make the first move, taking a step back and casually examining her. Suddenly, Relena felt very cold inside as he observed her like a rancher at some livestock show.

"Is there a problem Agent Yuy?"

Heero's eyes came back up to her face, an eyebrow quirking in question. Relena smiled inside. _That's right…you know you're in trouble mister…_

Snorting to himself, Heero's attention turned to the gun in his hand, checking that it was still dry. "Just making sure you didn't sprain anything."

Relena blinked. _Sprain? I tripped in the water, Heero; I didn't fall off a bridge!_ "I'm fine, thank you for your concern."

"That's my job."

At that, Relena's breath hitched in her throat, her bright eyes turning dark with anger. After everything…everything that's happened between them…after that _kiss_ he's going to act so detached from her. 'That's my job'? Was he purposely trying to rip out her heart and crush it beneath those damn boots he always wore? Any normal woman would have easily recognized this. Heero was a grade-A, pureblood, no sales tax included, one hundred and ten percent…total asshole. And the fact that she was in love with one hurt even more…

Heero watched her face for a moment, silently regretting what he'd just said. He hadn't meant to do it, honestly, but for some reason, the moment he opened his mouth the words spilled through like oil. He wondered why he was so anguished at Relena's reaction; it wasn't like he'd done anything before to refute the universal opinion that he was a jerk to everyone, including the former Queen of the World. Duo had put it to him honestly and bluntly when they'd gone drinking together one night.

_"Nobody really likes you."_

Nobody, of course, excluded the other pilots and Relena…at least Heero hoped so. He was pretty sure the team held a very high tolerance for him, but he hadn't cared about their opinions until Duo had said that in all seriousness. Apparently, the other Preventers used up their free time making fun of him and his stern attitude with occasional contests of who-can-play-a-tight-ass-the-best.

Taking a deep breath and lowering his eyes in what he hoped looked like a humbled gesture; he ground out the two words he hated saying the most. "I'm…sorry."

He felt more than saw Relena's head lift up. "What?" she whispered, stared at his bowed head. She wasn't sure she'd heard right from the dark glare he was sending towards the water.

Heero lifted his head slightly, and looked into her eyes. "I said, that I was sorry…"

"For what?" Relena felt her heart soar. Maybe, finally, he was turning over a new leaf and trying to be kind to another human being for once in his life.

Heero took a deep breath, standing straight and staring down at her. "I'm sorry for---"

Relena let out a terrified scream as the water around them suddenly exploded releasing the long demon that had lurked beneath the surface for so long. Heero seemed to fly back, his own yell of surprise tearing out as his body was dragged beneath the water, the gun flying from his hands and landing amongst the floating shrubbery. Frozen, Relena could only stare in horror at the spot where Heero disappeared, willing the waters to part.

"Relena!"

Water sprayed her back and he young politician spun, her eyes wide as Heero surfaced from behind, her name ripping from his mouth even as the thick body wrapped around him slowly tried to crush his thin body. Relena was splashing towards him, her arms pumping in a dismaying effort to move faster, even as the large head lifted from the liquid slime, long fangs gleaming as its mouth opened and released a predatory hiss of victory.

"Heero!" Relena cried, even as the anaconda's head snapped towards her, its tongue flicking out to taste the growing fear and death in the air. Heero's eyes were shut tight against the pain, his jaw clenched as the enormous snake's body constricted even tighter around him, completely immobilizing the seemingly invincible Gundam pilot.

As she moved through the water, her hand hit something hard amongst the weeds. Unconsciously she snatched at it, bringing the weapon to bear against the lord of snakes. The anaconda seemed to laugh at her as its mouth opened again and hissed at the pathetic looking weapon in her hands. Relena had seen enough nature shows to know what she was facing, even in this panicked moment she knew that anacondas were capable of taking down a full grown animal bigger than it easily…she'd watched amazed as the snake swallowed fierce wild cats, fighting boars, anything and everything it could ensnare.

And she, a simple, scared human, was going up against it with a stick.

Heero cried out again as the snake moved, his eyes snapping open and mouth wide as he gasped for air. Relena didn't notice the once slightly murky water become dark and red.

Blood trickled from Heero's mouth.

* * *

Leonardo stared at the passing growth below with an uncaring eye, his search concentrated on something besides the deceitful beauty of the treetops and nature. Flocks of white, long necked birds took to flight as the helicopter passed over their feeding grounds in the newly created swamps; entire trees housed families of colorful macaws and parrots that nestled with the branches; four legged animals dashed across open ground, trying to escape this new intruder to their once peaceful world. To anyone but a seasoned explorer, this land would have looked like paradise, but the fact that even after hundreds of years it remained uninhabited and greatly uncharted was evidence enough to its dangerous motives. It was truly a jungle of death.

Leonardo slammed a loaded clip into his handgun. He didn't need much more than the handgun at his side, but for the sake of preparation, he'd brought along a simple hunting rifle. Massimo and Roberto were armed similarly, although Massimo had declined the use of firearms and took up a machete. Dressed for the jungle in full camouflage gear and boots, they could move in, kill the Minister and her protection and leave. Depending on how long it took to find them, the whole operation would be completed in a matter of hours.

"Leonardo." Whetstone pointed at the headset and Leonardo quickly put it on. "There's an area of disturbed foliage ahead, looks like a crash site."

Leonardo nodded, speaking through the microphone at his lips. "Circle it a few times and look for any signs of life."

"No problem."

The helicopter dipped low, the treetops rushing towards them for a heart stopping moment before the chopper leveled out and the destroyed area came into view. Tilting slightly, the helicopter moved around the now open area in a tight circle, giving the occupants a prime view of below. Leonardo lifted his rifle, staring at the ground through the scope.

"I don't see anyone down there…" He increased the power, sweeping the ground, "The rain's washed away any traces of footprints."

Whetstone nodded at the ground. "Looks to me like the plane broke apart. See? The cockpit's a few yard away from the main body and the tail is gone."

"Oh Christ." Leonardo mumbled to himself. "It's the tail that has the Preventer's tracking beacon in it. If it's not destroyed then the rescue team will know exactly where they are."

Whetstone smirked at him, his eye twinkling. "Then I guess we'd better hurry up and find her, huh? With this crazy weather, they couldn't have gotten far."

There was a tap on Leonardo's shoulder, causing the man to turn and face Massimo. The large man was holding a black rectangular box, the radar device, his finger pointing to the radar. "We're picking up a signal from the beacon the pilot had on his clothing." Massimo said in smooth Italian, "It's about three miles away from this location."

Leonardo blessed his good-luck and quick thinking. Putting a tracing device on the pilot had just been a spur of the moment decision, mostly to satisfy his paranoid master. The man had been utterly convinced that the pilot would run off with Dorlain and sell her to one of the many rebel groups, so he had Leonardo put a device on the pilot's clothes. It seemed at the time, a pointless thing, but now it was indeed becoming useful.

He turned to the pilot. "Take us to within a mile of them, I don't want to be seen."

Whetstone nodded and the helicopter veered off away from the crash site and towards the center of the Amazon jungle. Leonardo impatiently prepped himself for extraction, hoping in the back of his mind that the Minister was still in good health. He planned to make both her and her little lap dog suffer before killing them.

In the distance, the jungle opened up and the helicopter began to slow, lowering even closer to the jungle top. As Leonardo lowered the jump cable, he grinned to himself. For the first time since the war, God was finally smiling down on him.

* * *

_There you go! Another chapter out. Sounds to me like the Preventers have a small time problem on their hands. How am I gonna do this? I dunno quite yet…_

_As for the folks reviewing my grammar and such, thanks a bunch for bringing me attention to it. In fact, some of your suggestions were ones I was considering, but was too lazy to do anything about it. I think my next update will be revisions of the chapters, so that will come up pretty quick, and then I'll submit Chapter Nine._

_If you're a fan of The Guardian, that update is coming up pretty soon, so keep an eye out for it!_


	9. Chapter 9

_**Jungle Rot **_

_**By: Wildfire Sky**_

_The next installment in the "Jungle Rot" series. We're slowly winding down towards the end, trust me, we are, and after that I start a new Gundam Wing fanfic that I certainly hope will be just as successful as this one has been! Thanks for all of your support and encouragement!_

_Please enjoy and remember to R&R._

_**Jungle Rot **_

_**Chapter Nine**_

* * *

Commander Une sat behind her desk, studying the computer screen before her. She was partially amazed at the lack of knowledge their prisoner had about the entire situation, and even more surprised to discover he'd been coerced into cooperating with the would-be killers. The Argentinean police force had been helpful in apprehending Herald Issen and their cooperation was something that she'd never thought she could get. The Western Hemisphere in general, especially the United States and most of South America, had never been pleased with the unification of the world countries and the development of the ESUN and strived to separate themselves from it, so when Argentina readily assisted the Preventers, Une was compelled to thank them generously.

Une's hands settled over the keyboard of her computer, her mind already set into the proper mode to bang out a personal letter of gratitude to the Argentinean representative for the Earth Sphere Unified Nation. Her hands, flying over the keyboard, barely paused even as raised voices reached her ears, evidence of an impending confrontation. Her office door exploded inward, the doorknob implanting in the wall as the large form of Milliardo Peacecraft appeared in the doorway, her secretary staring around him and into the office.

"I'm sorry, Commander Une, he just…"

Une held up a hand to stop her, a smooth smile settling over her features. "It's alright. I've been expecting him. You can return to what you were doing."

Nodding her head in respect, the secretary quickly backed out of the office, closing the door behind her. Zechs stood in front of Une's desk, glaring at her as he sat down in one of her plush chairs. For a moment, the two regarded each other, throwing a challenge of the wills into the air. It was Une who finally broke the stretching silence, opting to get this meeting over with, rather than sit here in silence. Stroking Zechs' already inflated ego would get him out of her office that much faster.

Leaning back in her conference chair, Une folded her hands in front of her. "I'm guessing you want an update on the Amazon situation."

Zechs nodded, also settling back. "Why hasn't one been sent to my office before now?"

"Zechs…" Une said with a low sigh, "Nothing has _changed_ in the past ten hours. Agents Maxwell and Chang are currently en route to the Amazon jungle, following a tracking signal from the plane."

"And the terrorists?" Zechs questioned, folding his arms, "How much of a time gap is there between our forces and theirs?"

Une frowned slightly. "At the moment, that cannot be determined. As far as we know, the Brazilian government hasn't relayed any information about aircraft on unauthorized flight plans, and therefore, we're assuming that they haven't reached the jungles, or even the Brazilian airspace yet."

Zech's glare increased, his fists clenching into the fabric of his long-sleeved shirt. "Then again, we're not on very good terms with the Brazilian government, are we?"

"About as good as we are with terrorists."

Zechs closed his eyes briefly, his fingers coming up to massage the bridge of his nose. Une couldn't imagine what I must be like for Zechs to be dealing with this newest development. It wasn't like Relena's life hadn't been threatening before, it was almost a daily occurrence, but never had he imagined that she'd be truly lost in a place that humanity, for all its advances and technology, had yet to conquer. And with a man who could never be conquered.

Milliardo finally looked up, his eyes still burning with anger and frustration. "Just tell me you're doing everything you can."

"You know we are." Une said quickly, with a reassuring nod. "Relena is important, not only as a politician, but also as a friend."

"What are you going to do about the terrorists?" Millardo asked, staring directly into her eyes.

Une leaned forward, taking his challenge toe to toe. "They won't escape due justice. I'll see to that personally."

Millardo held her gaze for another brief moment before nodding and relaxing in his chair. "I appreciate that, Une."

* * *

The anaconda spat viciously at Relena, its long red tongue flickering out from between fanged jaws. Its dark eyes locked with hers, the long, sleek body contracted tighter around Heero, squeezing the life out of its would-be meal. Angry at the foolish intrusion, the anaconda was torn between devouring its catch or killing the attacker before it. The pathetic looking creature was nothing but skin and bone, unlike the one in its clutches, yet she attacked as fiercely as its strongest prey.

Deciding against confrontation, the anaconda began to back away, dragging a groaning Heero after it. He would move back to his lair and enjoy his meal in peace, rather than face down this other annoying creature. The one in his grasp moaned in pain and he could feel the bulge in the captive's side. What that was, he could figure out after he finished digesting. For now, he was looking forward to a meal that would have him satisfied for the next few weeks.

Heero jerked in pain as the anaconda reeled away from Relena, hissing at her angrily as she struggled to pursue them in the thick sludge. The pain was so blinding and intense, Heero could feel himself slipping into unconsciousness. With every constriction of the thick body, the metal shrapnel was driven deeper into his side, getting that much closer to the vital organs that would spell his doom. Struggling weakly, he could feel his bones cracking under the immense pressure of the anaconda, blood bubbling up in his throat and dribbling out from between his lips.

"Heero!"

He could hear her calling out desperately to him, her voice panicked. He couldn't understand, even after all he'd done to make her think otherwise, she still cared for him. He hated that she felt this way, it made he feel so many emotions at one time and it was frustrating to him. He could always understand one emotion: anger. Anger was something that could be challenged and feed upon. He valued anger more than he valued anything else. He wished Relena would hate him instead of love him, that way, he could understand her easier.

More blood hacked from his mouth as the anaconda shied away from Relena and her stick. His eyes snapping closed, Heero tried to concentrate on staying conscious. If he passed out, who knew what Relena might do? He wanted her to run…to get as far away as possible, for her own safety.

"Re…Relena…" he managed to choke out. His breath was stolen away by an angry squeeze, followed by a hiss. What the hell was wrong with this snake? He had to get Relena to leave, to escape before the anaconda decided to take her out too.

Relena lifted the stick in her hands higher, putting on the bravest face she could in the face of this extreme danger. She'd never seen a snake this big before, but she'd heard of them. Able to kill a full-grown panther with relative ease, she'd be little more than a digestive problem to it. But at the moment, she could care less. All she could think of now was Heero captured within the thick coils of a natural monster…

There was blood everywhere, flowing all around her, and still she remained oblivious to it all. She just wanted Heero back…

With a sharp cry, she swung at the snake, blindly striking at air as the large reptile jerked away, carrying a groaning Heero with it. Baring it's fangs viciously, the anaconda lashed out with open jaws, snapping inches from Relena's face in warning. Screaming, Relena fell back, choking on the slimy waters as she went down. Determined she stood back up again, the stick still firmly grasped in her hands.

"Let him go!" she cried, moving forward again, ready to strike out. The anaconda tilted its large head, observing her curiously, its mouth open and poised for attack. Watching as it reared back, Relena barely had enough time to bring up the stick before the anaconda struck, snapping the pathetic branch in two and flinging Relena into the air. Landing with a splash, Relena sunk to the bottom of the body of water, stunned.

The blood drained from Heero's face as she watched Relena sink, her limp body bobbing at the surface momentarily before slipping beneath the murk. Suddenly, it didn't matter than he was facing certain death, or that he was being held by one of the fiercest predators in the Amazon. All he cared about was saving Relena. With a savage cry, he began to twist within the coils, ignoring the flaming pain that rushed through his body, as the metal was forced deeper and deeper. Relena would survive this…she wouldn't die in the Amazon…she would die _ever_ so long as he lived.

The anaconda turned its attention away from the few bubbles where Relena had sank, its attention drawn by the increased struggles of its meal. Tongue flicking rapidly, it tasted the air, confused by the sudden spike of primal anger radiating from its captive. Hissing again, it lunged, fangs out and ready to finish off his kill…but the boy moved, jerking to one side. The anaconda's vision exploded with a bright white light as something hard smashed down on its head again and again. Struggling to stay alert, the anaconda fought against the black that slowly enveloped its mind.

Heero heaved heavily as the grip of the anaconda slowly loosened around him until he was finally able to extract himself from his would-be killer. The anaconda slumped forward, its coils unraveling as it floated on top of the thick foliage of the water, unmoving. Coughing, Heero wiped the blood from his mouth as he rushed towards where Relena sunk, his eyes scanning the water as he moved. Yelling in surprise as his body hit a large object underwater, he spun and dove down, wrapping his arms around Relena's limp body and lifting her to the surface.

Gagging and sputtering, Relena clutched at Heero's sopping jacket, taking deep, heaving gulps of the life-giving air. Heero stood amongst the shrubbery, carefully wiping the slime from Relena's face as he supported her with one arm. He continued to caresses her face, even after cleaning it of the goop, trying to reassure his mind that she was safe and all right. She felt warm against him even though she trembled, her body solid as he cradled her to his chest.

He never noticed the presence of others until he felt the cold steel of a weapon pressed against his temple and the equally cold voice of the one holding it.

"Hey there."

* * *

Leonardo smiled victoriously as he led his two captives through the thick jungle of the Amazon, his rifle trained on the back of Vice Foreign Minister's bodyguard. The Japanese man had hardly put up a fight when he saw the three of them surrounding him and his precious Princess, their guns aimed and loaded. It was only until Massimo had tried to take the princess from him that the bodyguard began to retaliate, quickly backing away and holding her tighter to him. As soon as Massimo reached out and wrapped his hand around the boy's throat did he stop struggling and released his charge to them, the need for air overpowering his senses. They took that time to bind his hands together, the rope end let loose so they could lead him around and not worry about an escape attempt.

Now Massimo walked behind the group, the limp Relena slung over one shoulder to allow the liquid to drain from her lungs. Occasionally she would cough, causing their other prisoner to turn in concern, but a well place shove set his eyes straight. Roberto walked further ahead, searching the jungle for threats of animals or rescue groups. They were closer to the river and stood a greater chance of being found.

"How did you find us?"

Leonardo quirked an eyebrow at the bodyguard. "What did you say?"

Heero turned, his eyes cold. "I want to know how you found us so quickly."

Smiling, Leonardo moved to catch up to him until they were walking side by side. "Nothing stupid now, or my friend will snap her neck." He warned as he moved closer and reached for Heero's jacket. "I wasn't sure if you would actually keep this damn thing with you, but I had a tracing beacon placed on your clothing. Right here." He pointed at a button.

Heero frowned, his glare intensifying. "How?"

Leonardo's smirk grew. "Tell me, mister Yuy, did the co-pilot ever touch you?"

The flash of anger that crossed Heero's face with almost laughable to Leonardo. The smirk on his face never disappearing, he dropped back, slamming the butt of the rifle against Heero's back. "Face forward. You have a lot more to worry about than buttons."

The radio at his side blared to life. _"Leonardo…"_ Roberto's Italian speech forced its way through the harsh static caused by the rain forest.

Leonardo pulled the radio from hip, bringing the small box to his mouth. "What?"

_"There is a small village ahead of us,"_ Roberto reported in quick Italian, _"There's not much more than fifty people there. What do you want to do?"_

"Where's Whetstone?" Leonardo asked in his native tongue, "He should be waiting ahead of us, correct?"

_"I haven't been able to contact him. There were reports of patrols in the area, so he may have turned off his radio."_

Leonardo cursed silently. He didn't know how far off the Preventers were, or if these patrols were them. Luckily, the village was far enough in land to be hidden from patrol boats traveling the river, and hopefully there was enough foliage to cover them from air units. He glanced back at Massimo, noticing that he was now carrying a still unconscious Relena in his arms. Turning back towards Heero, he noted the slumped look to his shoulders and the blood dripping down his side. Thinking the wound was from the snake attack, he hadn't bothered to check it, but now that the blood flow seemed to be increasing, it hinted at something worse.

Leonardo lifted the radio again. "Scout out the village. We will go to the village tonight and wait for contact from Whetstone."

_"And if we don't hear from him?"_

Leonardo glowered. "We will deal with that when the time comes. Out."

_"Confirmed. Out."_

Looking up, he noticed that Heero had stopped and was staring at him with a hard, direct glare. Hating the unnerved feeling that came over him, Leonardo strode over, leveling the younger boy with his own glare. "Is there a problem, bodyguard?"

"What do you plan on doing with us?"

Leonardo blinked at the direct question before letting a sinister smirk cross his features. "That's my special surprise." He raised his voice in Italian so Massimo could hear. "We'll wait here for Roberto to return and then we go to the village. Tie our two lovebirds together."

Massimo nodded silently, reaching into the pack on his back and pulling out an additional length of rope. Leonardo jerked at the rope binding Heero's hands, chuckling at the slight stumble of a normally solid man. He watched at the ready with his rifle as Massimo forced Heero to a sitting position on the ground, propping Relena against his back. Never uttering a word of command, Massimo began tying the thick rope around Heero and Relena, tying it off securely. Straightening, he looked down at Heero for a moment before turning and walking off. Heero sat slumped against Relena, struggling to remain awake. He was too much blood and his hard trek through the jungle was taking its toll on his body.

It couldn't take much more before it would finally give out.

He heard Relena groan behind him and he leaned forward until he felt her head roll back against him. She should at least be the more comfortable of them. He was the best pillow she had around at the moment, and he was going to be a damn good pillow. Letting his head droop forward, Heero closed his eyes, giving into the much needed rest his body was craving.

"Injury."

Heero's eyes snapped open and he turned his head, looking up at the large Black man before him. For a giant, the man had remarkably light footfalls, rival to that of the Gundam pilots. Massimo, as he was called, crouched down in front of Heero, his dark eyes narrowed. Heero stiffened as Massimo reached out towards him. The man paused, his eyes narrowing further into slits.

"You. Injury." Massimo held up a roll of bandages. "I will fix."

Heero blinked. Wait…was this man, his captor, trying to _help_ him? Heero might not be good in the people skills department, but he knew when the intent of others was to kill him, and this group definitely qualified for that category. So why was…

"_Massimo_!" Leonardo's voice cut through the air. "_Arresto_. _Nonlo aiuti_. _Don't help him_."

Massimo was instantly on his feet and turned away without so much as another glance in Heero's direction. Leonardo strode over once Massimo left, crouching down much like his partner had before. For a moment, he held Heero's glare before his hand lashed out, striking the injured boy's side. Heero shut his eyes in pain, tasting the blood welling up in his mouth. Leonardo watched as Heero gasped for air then lifted the edge of his shirt, staring at the flaming injury in the boy's side. The metal was almost completely impaled in his side, slanted at an upward angle. No longer acting as a plug but more as a leaking pipe, blood poured freely from the opened wound, staining Heero's clothing and the ground.

Pressing his hand around the wound, Leonardo ignored the hiss of pain that forced its way out from Heero. "That was a mistake to tangle with that anaconda."

"A...Asshole..." Heero spat, cracking open an eye and glaring with as much intensity as he could manage.

Leonardo laughed, standing up and spitting on Heero's pants. "You, my friend, don't have much longer to say things like that. Besides, you should be thanking me. I plan on finishing you off long before that wound does." The jungle suddenly darkened, pulling Leonardo's glance to the sky. "Looks like rain…" He smirked, reaching into his pack and pulling out a parka.

"I certainly hope you don't get too wet."

* * *

_Another chapter completed! I'm very sorry about the delay, but my finals are breathing down my neck and I've been trying to fit in time, managing only a few minutes of writing before having to get back to studying and working. But, it'll be worth it. Soon I'll be directing films and then I'll have all the time in the world to do whatever! However, my finals end on December 13, so I'm not doing **anything** with my fanfics until that passes. Sorry, but school must come first._

_Please remember to R&R! And thanks for your understanding and support!_


	10. Chapter 10

**_Jungle Rot_**

**_By: Wildfire Sky_**

_Next installment in the "Jungle Rot" story. Glad that everyone is sticking with me through this so far! It really means a lot to me…really. If you're wondering, finals did go well and I am thoroughly enjoying my Christmas holiday. Happy Christmas and Merry New Years! Please remember to R&R!_

_**Jungle Rot**_

_**Chapter Ten

* * *

**_

Duo impatiently tapped his foot against the broken cement that covered the landing pad. This was one of the reasons he hated traveling…the unexpected. The cheap and old helicopters were a cesspool of mechanical problems, all the more evident now that they were sitting in the sweltering early evening humidity, an hour and a half away from the borders of Brazil and another three away from where the distress signal was. Wufei was somewhere in the hanger, no doubt as frustrated and impatient as Duo was feeling right now. They were losing precious time, very precious time, and ever moment they wasted meant that Heero and Relena waited longer and longer for rescue.

"Well, the engine is completely fried," said the pilot as he came around the front side of the helicopter and moved towards Duo. "The compressor in the turbo shaft gave out, from what I don't know. Could be the weather, could be bad construction. Either way, to replace it is going to take at least another half-day, a full day if you want it done right."

Duo groaned, leaning his head back against the body of the helicopter. "What about the other helicopter?"

The pilot pulled out a rag, cleaning his oil-slicked hands. "Now she might get us another sixty miles before she putters out. One of the gas lines is cracked and leaking fuel. To be honest, with the friction we're lucky the damn thing didn't explode mid-flight!" he looked a Duo was a pathetic shake of his head. "I can't take them back up, either one. I'm sorry, but for the sake of the crew and passengers, we have to ground them both."

Duo looked up, spotting a flustered looking Wufei leaving the large hanger. Behind him, a small, disgruntled looking man glared after the Chinese man's departing form, his hands on his hips in a defying stance. Duo nodded towards Wufei in greeting as the fellow Preventer stopped in front of them.

"What did you do to him, man?" Duo asked, watching at the small man disappeared back into the hanger.

Wufei glanced over his shoulder with a bitter sneer. "He owns a Cessna, but won't give us a ride into Brazil. He gave some repulsive excuse that only proved his cowardice to me."

"Did you threaten him?"

Wufei glared at Duo pointedly before his lip turned up into a sly smirk. "It depends on your definition of 'threaten'. I merely encouraged him to cooperate, but even that didn't work."

The pilot nodded in agreement. "The people of South America are very strong willed. They grew up in a threatening world and such action will not easily sway them to the needs of foreigners. Perhaps if you offered him a little incentive…"

"Are you saying the threat of imprisonment isn't incentive enough?"

Duo grinned. "I think he means that you need to pay the man."

Wufei's face turned a dark shade of red, his eyes narrowing. "Pathetic! I will not succumb to some lowly creature who allows himself to be poisoned by money!" he voice steadily grew louder. "He degrades himself and his family's name! Injustice! He should be cast from the earth like the shameful scum he is!"

Duo looked around at the curious stares of the soldiers. "Wufei, my man, keep your voice down."

"_I will not keep my voice down!_"

Duo simply backed away, letting Wufei deal with his frustrations in own way…without endangering his eardrums. The pilot was back over by the helicopters speaking with one of the other pilots at the warehouse. Their conversation seemed to be going much smoother than Wufei's had, the native pilot nodding and walking away to the hanger. Duo stopped next to the pilot, waiting patiently.

"He says that they'll fix our birds at a discounted price." The pilot grinned loosely, "It seems that there are some in South America who do not support these rebel groups. I suggest you get some rest, Agent Maxwell. We'll be here for some time…"

"Actually, we might be leaving much sooner than expected." The pilot and Duo turned as Lieutenant Becan approached, his smile wide. Wufei was following behind, looking much more pleased now. "I believe that this entire situation may just have worked out to the better for all of us."

Duo crossed his arms, leaning against the black steel of the chopper. "Oh yea, and how's that? Did you learn how to sprout wings?"

Wufei glared in Duo's direction. "It seems that Commander Une is putting more pressure on the Brazilian government than they care for. In fact, as we speak, two of their newest helicopters are currently in bound from the capital. They'll be here in an hour."

Becan nodded his head in enthusiastic agreement. "And these babies are outfitted with those new SPE-1000X that we've been hearing so much about."

The pilot let out a low whistle, his eyes twinkling with excitement. "Sonic Propulsion Engines…originally manufactured for spacecraft, the designers decided to refit them to fit on military aircrafts. These things are so powerful, if you were near an open, running engine, it would rip the skin right off your body and you'd never realize it…at least on a jet. Helicopters are much more safer." The pilot smirked, "Agents, you are in some kinda luck! Once those birds arrive, we'll be over the crash site in less than an hour. We're in the express lane now!"

Duo smirked, "The express lane is where I _live_."

* * *

Rain was still pouring down around them as Heero was marched into the tiny village at gunpoint. The natives had already gathered, the men standing at the forefront, their weapons at the ready. Even in these new times, they preserved their ancient culture, no one had more than a spear or bow covering their completely nude body, each comfortable with their nakedness. Heero ignored the free breasts of the women that stood beneath the protective shade of their huts and they in turn, ignored them. Leaving the dealing with these strangers to their strong men.

Leonardo pulled Heero to a stop as an older man stepped forward, his lean muscles still pronounced, even in his ailing years. He walked confidently up to Leonardo and Massimo, who had flung Relena over his shoulder again, his dark eyes tracing their two larger forms critically. A younger man moved with him, his walk not as confident as the old man's.

The old man spoke in a quick, chopped language, his eyes narrowing. Leonardo sighed, scratching the back of his head. "Do you speak English or Italian?" he asked. The old man's frown deepened and Leonardo glanced at the gathered. "Do any of you speak English or Italian?"

The people were silent and glaring. Leonardo sighed again, shaking his head. He brightened slightly as Roberto emerged from the group, shoving them aside roughly as he made his way over.

"Did you see anything?" Leonardo asked, not bothering to lower his voice. "Any search parties or unwelcome visitors?"

Roberto opened his mouth to speak when the young tribesman interjected. "You are the unwelcome visitors here!"

The Italians looked at him in surprise. Heero merely kept quiet, concentrating more on an escape route should things go bad, which they rapidly were. Whoever the youngster was, he had some influence with the people, for the very moment he spoke, they tensed as if ready to attack. He needed to be ready to grab Relena and run like hell. He didn't expect to make it far, but maybe he could gain enough time to hide Relena and distract his pursuers long enough to grant her escape.

Leonardo glared at the youngster. "You speak remarkable good English for a savage."

The tribesman's eyes narrowed. "I am no savage, nor are my people. I studied at Oxford, you barbarian, in order to help my village as a doctor."

"And yet you wear nothing, like a savage."

The tribesman stiffened, glancing down at the old man. "I still hold my culture dear to me…as any _honorable_ man would."

Leonardo unshouldered his rifle, causing the tribesmen to step back hesitantly. "Well, then, if we speak of culture you should know that it is in the European blood to lay waste to all that oppose us. Even brainy savages like yourself."

"You Europeans are nothing but disease carrying murderers!" the young tribesman growled, "Get out of our village, we want nothing to do with you!"

Leonardo took a step forward menacingly, "We require shelter from the rain as well as food and drink. We'll not be here long…"

The old man suddenly leapt forward, speaking quickly and waving his hand about. The young tribesman smirked. "I've taught my father some English…he says you will receive nothing but death if you do not leave now. I suggest you listen."

Leonardo remained calm even as the men pressed in much closer, their razor sharp spears pointed at the ready to kill. He simply looked at Roberto and nodded towards the old man. Before anyone realized what was happening, a loud crack shattered the tense air and the old man's head snapped back, blood spraying from his throat as he collapsed to the ground, shaking in sputtering in his death throes. Even as the son began to cry out in horror, two of the tribesmen leapt forward, their spears racing towards the Roberto. Two more shots rang out and they fell in bloody, twitching heaps, their spears clattering to the ground useless. Roberto took aim again, this time at one of the women nearby.

"Tell your men to drop their weapons!" Leonardo commanded, his own rifle aimed at the son's head. "They'll listen to you, won't they? If you don't want us to start killing the women and children, you tell them to get the hell back!"

The son stared at Leonardo bitterly. "Damn you…ah!" he cried out as a bullet ripped through his shoulder. Another man started forward but the son held up his good arm, speaking quickly. The man stopped, unsure but obedient. The son looked back at Leonardo, his hand moving up to clutch his shoulder. "We will give you your food and drink…but at first light tomorrow, you will leave this place."

Leonardo smirked, giving the boy a mock bow. "Fair enough. Massimo!" The big man moved forward and Leonardo spoke to him in Italian. "Take the bodyguard and the Princess into one of the huts, the boy's hut. Tie the bodyguard separate from her. We'll dispose of him tonight."

Massimo glanced at Heero with an almost pitied expression, but nodded. Shifting Relena on his shoulder, he took Heero's lead and with a firm jerk, led them into the village. Leonardo looked down at the bleeding boy. "Be so kind as to show us to your comfortable hut."

* * *

Massimo sat nearest the prisoners as the day slowly came to a close, the sun still blocked by the torrential downpour and thick mass of trees. He never moved his head, but still watched the bodyguard and his charge sitting next to each other, one waiting for death and the other dying. Leonardo and Roberto had left the hut once the captives were secure, speaking of an important discovery just outside the village. Massimo knew deep down that it was the missing tail end of the plane, the one piece that would bring rescue to the helpless sitting near him. For some reason, he felt glad for this…now, the search party knew where they were and would come quickly. On the other hand, that meant he would be required to kill them all, a task that he'd grown to hate more and more. He wasn't born for this…he was the son of a proud, but impoverished family. His father worked hard to make ends meet and had always encouraged his children to do the same. Out of all of them, he turned to crime…like a fool he sold his soul to the criminal subculture.

A pitiful groan reached his ears and Massimo looked over at the bodyguard. He was sitting nearest to him, his head against the wall and mouth slack as he took in labored gulps of air. Every so often, the boy would cough, flecks of blood flying from his mouth and staining his already dirty clothing. The girl still remained unconscious, now with fever. Massimo, against his orders, had taken a step in the right direction and gave her a small dose of liquid that would calm her sickness and protect her from further disease. Although it would not cure the fever, it would remove her from danger. The bodyguard had watched him do this, his face impassive but his sharp eyes grateful. Massimo had purposely put them close together, ignoring the stern glare of Leonardo. He could careless if that weaker man had a problem with it. If anything, he could simply crush the man's jaw and then no longer would he frown.

The bodyguard coughed again, this time it seemed longer and harsher. He keeled forward, his body shaking with exertion as he hacked up his lifeblood. For a moment, he remained like that, bent forward, eyes closed, his chest moving with each labored breath. Massimo turned away. There was nothing he could do more him…not anymore. He'd seen the wound and its festering infection. At this point, only a highly trained doctor could save him, and even then, unless the boy had a will to live, he would most likely die.

"…take…take her away…"

Massimo glanced at the bodyguard. Contrary to what that idiot Leonardo believed, he was well versed in English. It was just better to pretend that to constantly be talked to. How the bodyguard knew this he did not know or dwell on. Such thinking was a waste of time. The boy looked up at him, his face tight with pain.

"…take Relena away from here…I know you won't harm her…"

Massimo quirked an eyebrow. This boy was certainly bold. He would leave his precious cargo in the hand of someone he only knew as an enemy? Either he was too trusting, or a moron. The boy heaved in a breath, forcing his body upright and back against the bamboo walls. He licked his dry, cracked lips, squinting open one eye to stare at Massimo directly.

"…l-last request…"

The jungle outside drew dark with the dead sun sinking beneath the horizon. For just a moment the rain let up, as if as shocked as Massimo was by this comment. It was absurd…almost laughable. Even if Massimo actually considered taking the girl away, he'd never get far before Leonardo and Roberto were after him. Shaking his head, Massimo stood up and the rain began to fall again. He walked over to the bodyguard, towering over him. The boy simply stared up at him, unafraid and uncaring. The giant man clenched and unclenched his fists, wondering if he should just break the boy's neck and let him die quickly. He knelt down, wrapping his large hand around the boy's neck. The bodyguard's heart rate never jumped, not even for a second. He just sat there, watching and waiting.

"You should kill him. Be merciful."

Massimo's hands leapt from the bodyguard's neck, the rifle already up and at ready before he fully turned. The young Oxford boy was standing on the top step of the hut, one foot halfway through the door as he observed the two of them. With a small shake of his head, the tribesman entered the hut and stood just inside the entryway.

"You can't see that he's begging for it? He asked you to care for the girl, so he obviously knows he's going to die. Why delay the inevitable?" he took another step forward, eyes sliding towards the sleeping woman. "She is indeed a precious cargo, I've read about her during my studies. If not to honor his dying request, you should protect her because she gave you the freedom to decide to kill her."

Massimo lowered his gun. "Out. Now."

The tribesman snorted. "Don't act like a dumb brute, it doesn't suit you. Perhaps if you accepted your talents, you wouldn't need to fall into such a pitiful state whenever someone comes around."

The black man glared, angry that his act was no longer holding up. "My reasons for acting how I do are my own."

The tribesman held up his hands in mock surrender. "And I'm not asking you to reveal them. What I am asking, is that you find a better way to use what you have. Construction rather than destruction." He walked towards Heero slowly, his hands still up in a defenseless manner. "If I may?" He knelt down next to the dying man, gingerly pulling aside the soaked clothing that covered the jagged shrapnel. "It's been pushed in further by something…and there is a risk that it may have punctured an internal organ…most likely the stomach." He lowered the shirt back into place. "He will most likely suffer a terrible death…that is, unless you plan on killing him before then?"

Massimo grunted at him, jerking his head in a signal for the tribesman to move away. "He will die when he must."

"I'll take that as a 'yes'." The tribesman walked to the door. "I'll say it again, honor his final wishes. It's what any man with true honor would do. Even the lowliest of men deserve to have their final wishes carried out."

Massimo glared at the retreating man. "Leave. His fate has already been decided."

The tribesman nodded, and walked out into the rain. "As well as your own."

The black Italian glared into the darkness before looking down at the bodyguard. The boy was now slumped forward, his chest shaking with each breath, more and more blood pumping out from his wound. Massimo glanced towards the door before lifting the boy out of the growing pool of blood and leaning him against his Princess. For now, he would let him enjoy the final moments he had.

"Thank you…" Massimo looked down in surprise at the now awake Relena. Her tied hands were clasping the bodyguard's, but her eyes locked with his. She didn't expect and answer, nor did she wait for one. Instead, she simply looked at the bodyguard, snuggling closer to him and watching his strained face with love filled eyes. Eyes that Massimo's mother once had for him…

The big man moved back into his spot and closed his eyes. He would let them rest undisturbed. No reason to make the passing any worse. The hut was filled with silence for what seemed like hours unlike Massimo heard the heavy boot steps coming up the hut steps. Opening his eyes, Massimo looked towards the door. Roberto stood there, an unlit cigarette clamped between his lips as he looked from Massimo to the prisoners.

"Bring them." He said with a cruel smile as Relena's head jerked towards him. "It ends now."

* * *

_Happy happy happy Christmas! From San Antone to you! Happy happy happy Christmas! Let's celebrate, yahoo! Drink plenty of nog, eat plenty of cake, we'll be up up up til' it's late late late! Ooooohhhh! Happy happy happy Christmas from all of us to YOU!_

_Yea. In a drunken stupor, I was up til about 1 o'clock last night, screaming that at the top of my lungs with my equally drunk friends. Don't you just love the holidays? Please R&R and have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Years!_


	11. Chapter 11

_**Jungle Rot**_

_**By: Wildfire Sky**_

_Well, here's the next chapter for you, and, as a pleasant surprise, it's about twice as long as my other ones. I know because I wrote twice as much…and I know that because I measured. Anyways, this is the second to last chapter of "Jungle Rot". In other words, there will be no more. But never fear, as soon as I complete my other works, I shall return! Await my coming!_

_But until then, enjoy and remember to R&R like a good reader should!_

_**Jungle Rot**_

_**Chapter Eleven**_

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Leonardo stood in the muddy jungle floor, his eyes turned upwards and squinting through the rain at the large airplane tail jutting from where it was buried in the ground. His flashlight beam moved over the jagged remains, illuminating what was left of it. It looked almost skeletal with most of the metal ripped away, exposing the metallic bones beneath. Vines and leaves clung to it, no doubt from crashing through the trees; a large jungle tree stood bent beneath it, the thick, large thing the only object keeping the tail from being further sucked into the muck. Leonardo seriously regretted that he could get no closer, but reaching the tail was impossible now. After all, there aren't many who would risk venturing into quicksand in order to retrieve a box. Roberto stood next to him, also staring up at the tail, not caring for the torrential rain cascading around them. His rifle slung over one shoulder, Roberto turned towards Leonardo.

"What now?"

Leonardo sighed, scratching the back of his head. "There's no way in hell we can reach it. That quicksand would pull us in before we went five feet." He cursed again. "If we don't get that flightlog, everything will be ruined!" Everything was in the flightlog…everything that they'd done in order to bring down the plane. It would show the pilots deliberately flying into the storm's path, even after being warned over the radio by ground teams. It would show the pilots dumping most of the fuel from the tank before the first hit was even made. It would show the pilots overriding the emergency auto-landing the plane had tried to make. And, it would show the communication link between the pilots and an unknown number moments before take off…a number the Preventers could easily locate.

Sighing again, Leonardo turned away from the plane's tail. "Where is Massimo?"

"Bringing Dorlain and her bodyguard. Why?"

Leonardo's mind was working. There might still be a way to retrieve the box at no risk to his life. An acid smile crossed his face as his eyes made out three slow moving forms coming towards them through the jungle, Massimo's huge form easily recognizable. Aiming his light towards them, he could see Dorlain struggling to support her bodyguard as he stumbled along, Massimo directly behind them. It irked him the neither the Vice Foreign Minister nor her bodyguard were bound by a leading rope, but then again, judging by their conditions, running would be a waste of time. They came to a stop in front of Leonardo, Relena still trying to support the heavy weight of her guard as he sunk to the jungle floor, his breathing labored. The Vice Foreign Minister had her bound hands on the boy's arm, helping him to stay upright. He had his eyes closed, concentrating on breathing, a small line of bloody drool dripping through his lips.

"I'll going to make a deal with you, guard," Leonardo said, staring down at them with less than compassion. "And I'm sure it's one that might interest you. We have a small problem that only you can solve, so I'm going to have to recruit you into our merry band for just a moment." Leonardo gestured over his shoulder at the tail. "Do you see that? That, my dying friend, is the tail of the very airplane you and Miss Peacecraft were in just days ago. Now, there is something very important to me inside of that tail and I want you to get it."

Relena glared up at him, her eyes suspicious. "What's wrong with _your_ legs?"

Leonardo laughed softly. "I, madam, have no desire to go anywhere near quicksand." His grin widened at the shocked look on her face. "Did you really expect it to be some easy task? Come now. We're your _killers_…making your last few moments as miserable as possible is my _job_." Leonardo turned back to Heero. "Of course, just because I'm asking doesn't mean you have any choice in the matter. Do what I say and I'll shoot you in the head, and you'll have a nice quick death. Fight me, and I'll leave you out in there to watch as I make your girlfriend suffer before you drown. It's your choice."

Heero took in what he was saying with nothing less than extreme bitterness, his hands digging into the sludge in anger. This man was a bastard, son of a bitch through and through. Unfortunately, he was a smart bastard. Heero would cut out his own eyes before watching her suffer because of his decisions…

_But haven't you been doing that already?_

Heero's eyes shot open. He _had_ been making her suffer…for so long now he pushed her away and tried to ignore the pained look on her face. Every night he went to bed, his mind clogged with images of her hurt expressions and every night he drove them from his head. His own life had been miserable because of the decisions he'd made, yet he never acknowledged it…never wanted to. Even more pathetic was now, on the brink of death, he was beginning to realize all his wrong doings and foolish actions…it almost felt like payback for being an idiot.

"Bodyguard." Leonardo's voice cut through his thoughts. "Time and patience is something I'm a little short on right now. Make your decision or I'll make it for you."

Relena clutched his arm tighter. "Heero, don't do it…" she stared at his face. "For God's sake, you don't have to do this. We both know I'm dead anyways, so it's just not worth it."

Leonardo glared. "That's what you say now until I start using my knife to carve designs in that pretty little body of yours."

"Shut-up!" Relena shouted. "You sick bastard, why can you people just leave us alone? Why are there always people out to destroy peace?"

"You're so naïve, Dorlain." Leonardo shot back. "There is no such thing as peace! Only stupid little girls have thoughts of happiness, peace, and frilly ponies. You're a woman, damn it, and you ought to know better. Peace is a word, not a thing. Until you can give everyone whatever they like, there will still be murders, robberies, rapes, assaults, abuse, perversion, hate…every terrible thing that can and will happen to every person on this planet." He shook his head. "I know first-hand what breaking the so-called 'peace' can do…" he sighed, his eyes hardening. "I'm not going to sit here and discuss such trivial things with you, Vice Foreign Minister. I choose not too. Bodyguard, your answer please."

Heero's eyes searched out Relena's. Her beautiful, sea-blue eyes…it was like a gift to him. Something for him to hold on to if he didn't make it out of here alive. Should he rot in Hell for all eternity, at least he'll have this to give him some semblance of peace.

"Bodygu--"

"Fine." Heero growled, noting the panicked look on Relena's face. He gave her a tiny smile, eyes soft as he leaned close. "Gomen-nasai…"

Leonardo blinked, his face scrunching in confusion. "Go…gom-_what_? Damn you, speak English!" He grabbed the collar of Heero's shirt, forcing him to his feet and nearly dragging Heero towards the quicksand pool. "Massimo!" The big man came over with a rope, handing it to Leonardo. The Italian looped the rope through Heero's back belt loop, tying it securely with a small tug and speaking as he talked. "There's a small box inside the tail near the base of it. It might have been dislodged, but at this point that's your problem, not mine. Find it and bring it back. Don't, and I swear to God, I'll blow her head off."

Heero looked back at Relena. Even standing in the rain, her hair matted down, clothing soaked, and body muddy, he was the most beautiful, exotic thing he'd ever seen. Damn it, his sacrifice would be worth it if only she had a few more moments.

"Get going." Leonardo ordered, giving a hard shove. Heero stumbled slightly before catching himself and limping towards the tail. From the moment his feet hit the quicksand, he could feel its powerful suction on his body. Taking only a few steps, the firm ground suddenly fell away and he pumped his arms trying to stay afloat. _Well, this was a great idea…_

"Don't worry bodyguard!" Leonardo called out over the rain, "We have a good grip on the rope, so you won't drown yet. Keep moving!"

Heero kicked his feet and moved his arms, his body slowly making it closer and closer to the tail that was only fifteen feet from the solid shore. It was taking so long, and even in this short amount of time, his entire body was drained of energy. There was a thick branch jutting from the goop and he made a reach for it, his hand outstretched. Suddenly he was jerked back, the branch just falling out of his grasp. He heard Relena's protest out over the rain.

"What the hell is your _problem_?"

"We don't have time for rest! He must keep moving. Do you hear that bodyguard? Move your ass!"

Heero began moving again, but with each movement, he sunk deeper and deeper. Soon he was gagging and sputtering as the liquid sand began to surge up around his face. It clogged his nose and ears, flowing constantly into his mouth in small waves. He wouldn't make it to the tail…he'd be sucked under before he would be able to touch it. It was a death he never imagined could happen to him…pulled under by the force of gravity and sand rather than a bullet. It almost seemed degrading, and he refused to die without some honor! The tail was only a few more feet; he could make it if he tried. As another wave of sand entered his mouth, Heero spat viciously and with a firm grit of his teeth, heaved his body forward, hands outstretched and searching. His heart hammered as he groped around, his fingers touching nothing but liquid sand. The sand was pulling him deeper and deeper into its pit. He took a final breath as the sand flowed over his mouth and nose, his hand still moving sluggishly. _Please…_

Then, he found it. His hand thumped against a piece of metal jutting from the partially submerged tail. Grabbing at it, he pulled himself forward, bringing his foot up to balance on the metal and heave himself free of the confining muck. He wrapped his arms around the exposed tail, his cheek against the rain slicked metal. If he wasn't so exhausted, he would have kissed it as passionately as he would Relena. He remained there, using the metal to support him as he caught his breath. The pain in his side was all but forgotten in this near death experience. Now, he needed to get the box and get the hell back to safety.

_Snap!_

Heero's heart nearly stopped as the entire tail shifted, sinking deeper into the quicksand. He cursed softly, his eyes shutting tight. His extra weight must have disrupted whatever was keeping the tail from sinking in the first place. The light plopping of bubbles reached his ears as the air pockets within the tail began to surface and pop. _Oh shit shit shit!_

Heero leaned his head inside the large tail, his eyes scanning for the black box Leonardo wanted. He'd helped the enemy before in tasks, but for some reason, this time it left a bitter taste in his mouth. Now that the war was over, he shouldn't be doing this…he should be helping terrorists get away with their crimes, especially as a Preventer now. It was his job to take people like them down and disrupt whatever plans they had. Heero grit his teeth and reached into the sandy muck, searching blindly for the box.

"Hurry up bodyguard!" Leonardo yelled over the rain. "You're taking much too long!"

The plane was still shifting, slowly dragging Heero closer and closer to the sandpit. He looked around wildly, his sharp eyes hindered by the darkness and rain that surrounded him. Pulling his hands from the muck, he gripped the metal skeleton angrily. Where the hell was it? Did it fall out during the crash? There was a very good possibility that the box was already lost to them…

Heero turned, glaring through the rain at the huddled forms of those on shore. "It's not here!"

_Ka-ping!_

Heero jerked to one side, his arm coming up to protect his face from the ricochet of the bullet.

"Get in there and find that flightlog you dumb bastard! Don't think I'm joking about your girlfriend here, I'll kill her!"

Cursing Heero leaned back inside, and then paused in shock. So that was it…in all the confusion and worry, he'd completely forgotten on key factor. The location beacon was inside the flightlog. The beacon was activated only in the event of a plane crash and housed safely inside the near indestructible black flight box, it was impossible for it to be damaged or destroyed…or deactivated. He wanted to slam his head against the side of the plane. So that's how they'd found them so quickly…they were searching for the flightlog and most likely by fluke had happened upon them. That they were so worried about it meant one of two things…either they didn't want the Preventers to get it, or they wanted to deactivate it and prevent a rescue team from coming. Either way, it was important that Heero not let them get it…and he needed to find it. That the signal wasn't lost meant that it was still above the surface of the quicksand, or close enough that the signal could escape. Heero's eyes swept over the inside again, this time with more urgency. He needed that flightlog…there!

At the very tip, the black box was lodged between two beams, thrown from its original perch at the bottom of the plane. Cautiously stepping inside the tail, Heero reached up towards the box. The plane began to sink more rapidly, his feet already covered. At the same time, the shift brought the box close enough for him to grab it. Wrapping his hands around the box, Heero jerked it down, cradling it to his chest as he was thrown off balance. The sand splashed up around him, covering his body. He could feel the heavy box dragging him deeper and deeper.

"He's got it! Pull him back to shore!" Leonardo's voice rang out victoriously, "Excellent work bodyguard. Now I don't have to leave you out there to rot."

Heero felt himself being pulled rapidly to shore, the heaves quick and confident. As he hit solid ground again, two strong arms lifted him from the muck and onto the firm jungle floor. Wiping the sand from his eyes, Heero looked up to find Leonardo towering over him, a dangerous leer on his face and hand outstretched.

"The box, if you will."

Heero glared at him. "Not a chance in--" He words were cut off as the butt of a rifle crashed into the back of his head. With a grunt, Heero pitched forward, the box clattering from his hands and coming to a stop at Leonardo's feet. Bending down, the Italian smirked as he retrieved his prize.

"Thank you bodyguard, I'm glad that we've been able to work together." He drew his handgun, switching off the safety with a click. "Now then…"

"_No!_" Relena dashed forward towards Heero only to be caught by Massimo and held back. "No, please don't!"

Leonardo turned to look at her with a bored stare. "Vice Foreign Minister, you must realize that even if I don't shoot him, the boy is going to die. That wound is nothing but a festering infection and it won't go away any time soon." He pulled back the hammer. "Believe me when I say this is a favor to him."

Relena glared at him, tears brimming the edges of her eyes. "We don't need any of your pity!" She began to struggle again. "You have your stupid box so just _go away_!"

Leonardo snorted. "Please. And leave witnesses? I've been ordered to kill both of you. We were sent in only on the precaution that you managed to survive the crash…like damage control if you will. Needless to say, I was quite surprised when both you _and_ your bodyguard survived."

Heero hacked up blood. "Sorry to disappoint…"

"I'd keep quiet if I were you, bodyguard," Leonardo growled. "Your sarcasm is unwanted and unnecessary."

Heero smirked, lifting his eyes to Leonardo's dripping face. "What are you going to do? Shoot me?" His smirk slowly fell from his face, his eyes shifting to where Relena stood wrapped in Massimo's embrace. "I made a last request…"

Leonardo cocked his head. "Oh? And what makes you think I care?"

"Everyone deserves to make a last request." Heero ground out, his eyes locking with Massimo's. "And they should be honored."

Leonardo glared. "You, sir, are a killer. Did those Gundam pilots honor my brother's last request not to _die_? Killed by zero-one without mercy or a second thought! A cold-blooded killer is all he was, the bastard. And now, even Dorlain is ignoring the last requests of the soldiers to let them live on without fear of retribution by her corrupt government. Last requests are never honored by anyone but the foolish. My brother's sacrifice will never"

Heero dropped his gaze, struggling to his hands and knees before Leonardo, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. "If you're looking for justice for your brother's death, let Relena go…"

Relena shook her head in panic, her voice a pained whisper. "Heero…no…"

But the ex-pilot ignored her. "Kill me and you'll have taken justice for your brother. My life in exchange for hers will equate the wrong-doings."

Leonardo laughed. "Bodyguard, that would only work if…" Then it slowly dawned on him. Every legislation Dorlain proposed to protect the identities of the 'heros'… the recorded accounts ordered to be destroyed…her mysterious bodyguards that had no background…it all connected. "You…you're one of them…" He turned to look at Relena in disbelief. "The Gundam Pilots…are your bodyguards?" He shook his head, staring past Relena's head and into the dark forest. "And tell me, Gundam Pilot…which one are you?"

He knew the answer before it even escaped from the pilot's mouth.

"Gundam zero-one."

Leonardo clenched his fists. "You…you're that son of a bitch…who killed my brother?" Suddenly, he spun, charging towards Heero who remained kneeling on the jungle floor. "You _bastard_!"

Leonardo launched himself at Heero, using his gun as a mallet and beating it across the boy's face and body. He smashed it across the boy's eyes and jaw, enjoying the crunching sounds like music. Even as blood flew, splattering across the jungle floor only to be washed away, Leonardo kept beating, so infuriated he never noticed that Heero had not cried out once, nor did he hear Relena's screams for him to stop. Leonardo jumped up, viciously kicking Heero's injured side, driving the shrapnel in deeper. Now, the boy let out grunts and moans of pain, but never tried to roll away from the attack.

Leonardo stood over the bloody mess that was Relena's bodyguard, his chest heaving. "Get up." He snarled, the bloodied gun in his hand. "On your knees you pathetic piece of filth."

Heero slowly rolled to his side, struggling to lift his beaten body from the ground. He could hear Relena's angry sobs through the rain, but couldn't bring himself to look at her. Would she ever forgive him for this, or would she see it as another selfish act like all the others? He didn't want to see the betrayal in her eyes…or the anger he knew was there. It would be a pain no bullet could take away.

Heero came to his knees in front of Leonardo, his bound hands in front of him and head bowed in an almost prayer like manner. From the corner of his eye he could see Massimo pulling Relena back and hoped the giant would at least remember what he'd asked.

He heard a click as the hammer was pulled back.

Heero sighed. _What a miserable way to end a hellish week…_

"You last request, bodyguard," Leonardo growled above him, "I'm afraid cannot be honored by my employer. I will not kill her, but who's to say he won't? The vengeance I've been seeking will be complete, but know as you burn in Hell, you'll never be forgiven by those whose lives you've ruined."

Heero lifted his head, a tight frown on his face, but did not refute what was said. It was true; he only asked that _they_ not kill Relena. He never took his eyes from Leonardo's, even as the gun was pressed against his forehead. Leonardo grinned viciously, his finger beginning to squeeze the trigger.

"As promised for your hard work…"

"_Da-DA dadadadaaa DA dadadadaaa DA dadadadaaaa DA DA DA DA!_"

Everyone looked up in surprise at the blaring noise that seemed to come from everywhere. As it repeated again, Leonardo dropping his gun arm in surprise.

"What the hell _is_ that?"

Relena blinked. "Duo…?"

"The cavalry has arrived!" The voice roared over what had to be a huge megaphone. "Surrender and drop your weapons now!"

Leonardo glared at his surroundings, searching for the source of the noise. "We're not surrendering and we have hostages! I'll swear I'll kill them both if you don't show yourself now!"

_"Well, if that's what you want…"_

The sound started off low, as nothing more than a pleasant thrumming. Then it suddenly escalated to a loud roar, the trees swaying and bowing under powerful gusts of wind, the rain whipping around their bodies painfully. The dark area was illuminated with an overpowering white light as the helicopter hovered over head, its powerful beam cutting through the trees and lighting the entire area.

"Lower your weapons!"

Leonardo and Roberto whipped around, coming face to face with the village men and the Oxford leader. He stood in front of his tribe, a smug look on his face. The men were armed with spears, the gleam of dark metal reflecting the helicopter light. Snarling like a cornered dog, Leonardo brought his rifle to bear, Roberto hesitantly following his direction.

"You bastards are _bold_." Leonardo said with a glare, "And here I was being nice to you…"

Suddenly the men parted and Leonardo came face to face with the best anti-terrorist group in the solar system. The Preventers. Relena almost cried in relief and happiness as Wufei marched forward, a deep scowl on his face.  
"Wufei!"

The Chinese man never glanced towards her, instead aiming his gun at Leonardo. "Surrender your weapons and put your hands on your head. Slowly."

Leonardo's eyes narrowed to near slits. "Massimo! Snap that girl's neck if they try anything."

Instantly, half of the weapons swung towards were Relena and Massimo stood, Massimo's arms still around her in a deadly embrace. Slowly, one of Massimo's hands came up and onto her shoulder. Relena's eyes widened.

Oxford jumped forward, his hands out. "Massimo, don't! You don't have to listen to him anymore, Leonardo's lost!"  
Massimo never looked at him.

"Listen to me, Massimo! These Preventers will _kill_ you!"

Leonardo still stood in a face off with Wufei, their guns aimed at each other. "Don't be stupid, Massimo. They've got nothing in store for you but years in prison and execution. They're going to kill you anyways. Go ahead, Preventer, read our charges."

Wufei glared, his finger tightening on the trigger. "By order of the Earth Sphere Unified Nation and the Preventers, you are under arrest for terrorism, attempted murder, and the kidnapping of Vice Foreign Minister Relena Dorlian. I don't think I need to tell you to shut the hell up, since you're so keen on running your mouth!

Leonardo sneered. "By the looks of you, you're probably quite the loud mouth as well! Roberto, if this man shoots me, I want him dead too."

Roberto blinked in surprise. "But…Leonardo…" He glanced at the Preventers. "There are much more of them than…"

Leonardo sighed, and drew his pistol with his other hand. Before Roberto could protest, the back of his head erupted in blood and thick matter as the bullet tore through. He keeled back, his body slumping to the wet ground, eyes wide and staring upwards. The Preventers pressed in closer, the rain hindering their eyesight, but the surprise on their faces evident. Leonardo turned back to Wufei with a smirk, pointing both guns at the solid man.

"You wouldn't have gotten much out of him anyways, Preventer. But I do apologize if this slows your case."

Wufei glared. "Have your man release the Vice Foreign Minister, and I'll consider not blowing off your head."

Leonardo shrugged. "How can you legally do that? I haven't shot at you yet, only killed my partner. ESUN law states that an officer of the law cannot legally shoot at or kill a suspect unless said suspect discharges his weapon _first_ at said officer. In other words, unless you want to be arrested for a wrongful death, you better not kill me."

Wufei scowled from behind his weapon. "It also states that an officer of the law can shot a suspect if he is endangering the lives of others."

"The way I see it, I'm the person in danger here. If you're talking about this _pathetic_ man kneeling on the ground, he's as good as dead anyways. If you're talking about Dorlain…" Leonardo smirked, "Well, I'm not the one ready to snap her neck, am I?"

Wufei glanced in Relena's direction for only a split second. At that moment, Heero saw Leonardo tense, a dark look falling over his features as his finger began to squeeze the trigger of his rifle. Heero leapt to his feet and charged, enjoying the shocked look on Leonardo's face as he was tackled to the ground, the shot going up and wide. They tumbled to the ground, the box and guns flying from Leonardo's hands and into the muck. Leonardo reached up with one muddied hand, pressing it against Heero's mouth and nose in hopes of suffocating him. He drew back his arm and smashed his fist against the Asian's face, causing the pilot's head to snap back. Leonardo dove for his pistol, bringing to the bear as Heero regained his bearings. The pilot froze as Leonardo pulled the trigger.

_Bang! Bang!_

Heero's body jerked as the bullet hit him, instantly falling to his knees and clutching at the shrapnel in his side.

"Heero!" Relena scream reached his ears, but the blood roaring through them quickly drowned her out.

Heero's his eyes snapped shut as fiery pain seemed to spread out across the side of his body. Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth as he took in a shuddering breath, staring up at Leonardo's wide, shocked eyes. Leonardo half-lay on the ground, his gun still pointed at Heero. His eyes slid over Heero's face, the confusion and surprise evident.

"Shrap…nel…" His forehead scrunched in confusion, then he laughed. "Damn…you're lucky…pilot…" Leonardo let out a tiny sigh, his body going limp and pale as his eyes slid shut.

Heero hacked up more blood, collapsing to the ground rolling on to his back. He took in gasping breaths, the pain in his side not dulling. He took that for a good sign…a sign that his body was still responding for the moment.

"Heero!" Relena cried out again, struggling in Massimo's grasp. The Black man watched dispassionately as Leonardo died, the frown on his face lifting. He hardly took notice of the Preventers pressing in, or the Chinese man's orders to release the girl and surrender. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He quickly released Dorlain, passively watching as she dashed over to her bodyguard, lifting his head to her lap and stoking the bangs from his eyes. Walking towards Leonardo's body, he ignored the commands of the Preventers to get to his knees. Pausing before the man's cold body, he bent.

"Gun! Gun!" came a shout.

"Stop!" the Oxford student held up his hands placing himself in front of Massimo. "Agent Chang, don't have your men shoot, the man is harmless!"

Wufei glared at him. "Shut-up and get out of the way."

"Agent…"

Massimo's deep voice interjected. "The flightlog." Oxford and Wufei looked at him in surprise, the native turning as the Black Italian thrust the black box into his hands with a firm nod. Oxford blinked as Massimo marched towards Wufei, his dark eyes locked with the Chinaman's. Behind Wufei, the Preventers stiffened, their guns aimed even as they took a cautious step back from the huge, imposing man. Massimo held Wufei's gaze for a moment before holding out his hands. "I will surrender, Agent."

Wufei watched him carefully for a moment before nodded and pulling out a pair of handcuffs, snapping them around Massimo's large wrists. Suddenly, the walkie-talkie at Wufei's hip squawked to life

_"Hello! What's going on down there?"_

Wufei glowered, snatched at the radio. "The suspects have been apprehended, Maxwell, but Yuy's been injured." He watched as Massimo was detained and held under guard by a group of Preventers.

_"My God…he can't do anything without hurting himself, can he?" _Duo laughed, _"Remember the time at the Christmas party when he…"_

"Maxwell!" Wufei snapped, his frustration slowly growing. "Set down the helicopters and bring a stretcher."

_"Alright, me n' Beacon will be there in a few. You know, you can really be an uptight piece of--"_

Wufei snapped off the radio.

* * *

_Hurray and Hurrah! Yes, ladies and gents, it only took me forever, but we have just one more chapter to go before "Jungle Rot" is over and done with. Sad, yes, but not to worry, I will definitely return to the Gundam Wing realm. If you want to read even more great fanfics, be sure to visit my website! Thanks so much for your support through this project!_


	12. Finale

**_Jungle Rot_**

**_By: Wildfire Sky_**

_This is actually one version of the ending…and obviously the one I liked better. Enjoy the ending to "Jungle Rot" and I'll see you after the completion of my other fanfics. This was a wonderful endeavor and I'm glad to have broken back into Gundam Wing with such support from the fans. So a double thank you to you! Unfortunately, all good things must eventually come to an end…and that includes fanfics. While you can still visit them again and again, updates (except for grammatical updates) are forever lost in the great sea of So, without further ado…the conclusion to "Jungle Rot"!_

**_Jungle Rot_**

**_Finale

* * *

_**

When Heero opened his eyes, he found himself staring into a bright, white light, a feeling of relaxation and peace settling over his body as he let out a soft sigh. This wasn't exactly what he expected to find upon death…a scene of flames, screaming, and pain seemed more appropriate…but if some higher being decided to take him in, well, he wasn't going to complain. It was a pity, though, that there seemed no way for him to see Relena any more. He supposed heaven wasn't quite like television says it is…or perhaps if he concentrated hard enough…

Heero put his mind to forming an image of Relena, staring at the white space before him in the hopes that the image would conjure itself up. Suddenly the white light was wrenched away and he was plunged into darkness. Panic washed over him. Was he finally being sent to Hell?

"Heyheyhey! Morning beautiful!"

Yes. Yes he was.

Heero let out a growl of annoyance as a much dimmer, yellow light snapped on, blurring the edges of his peripheral vision. Turning his head to one side to glare in the direction of the lamp and the one who turned it on, his discovered the source of his seemingly unending annoyance. Duo was much too close for Heero's liking, his cheerful face mere inches away from his own. Had he the energy, Heero would have lashed out, but being as it was, the tubing and his need for rest overrode any violent actions he might have taken out on his comrade. Duo's smile turned into a full blown grin as he leaned back into the chair he was currently occupying, tossing the magazine in his lap to one side.

With the light on, Heero was able to take in his surroundings. He was in the infirmary bay of a hospital, the room one of familiarity from how many times he'd been committed to it. Diagonal to his bed, and closer to the door, was another sterilized cot, awaiting whatever unfortunate Preventer managed to get himself injured that day. Today it was empty. The steady hum and beeps of the machines next to him sounded almost soothing to his ears, providing more evidence that he was truly alive.

"Sorry about the overhead light, forgot to turn it off. So, buddy-o, are you feeling any better?"

Heero's glare intensified. "Where's Relena?"

Duo's snorted. "Gee…no 'hi Duo, thank you for saving my ass _again_'…no, 'hey there Duo! Yes, I'm alive, thanks to your hard work!'…no, 'Duo, my best buddy in the whole world'…"

"Duo!" Heero snarled, sitting up further in bed, "Answer the damn question. Where is Relena?" He winced as pain flared up from his side. Duo was instantly on his feet, his hands on Heero's shoulders to prevent him from sitting up further.

"Whoa there buddy, you shouldn't move just yet. They just brought you out of surgery to get that shrapnel out of your side." The American grinned and leaned back into his chair. "To be honest with you, I'm really surprised you're awake. They had to have knocked over a pharmacy with as much anti-biotic as they pumped into you!"

Heero sighed, more from relief than anything. "And what about Relena's injuries?"

Duo's smile faltered slightly. "She's fine, Heero…just a bit roughed up." The American smiled again, reaching out and giving his partner a light pat on the shoulder. "Hey man, you did good. Zechs is still pissed about a few things, but everyone knows you kept her alive. Besides, he always seems to have a bug up his ass when it comes to you."

Heero smirked slightly, more than aware of the truth in the comment. He pushed himself into a full seating position, watching Duo carefully. "Where is everyone?"

Duo shrugged, leaning back in his seat. "Who knows? Probably trying to calm Zechs down and all that. He was so…_dramatic_ when they brought you two in. Said that they should have left you there for putting Relena in danger, that it was all your fault, that he would make you pay, blah blah blah. The usual stuff he spouts whenever you two have one of your feuds." He laughed. "Don't worry, Relena said she'd take care of him. I wouldn't worry about it."

Heero grunted in reply, leaning back down into his sterilized bedding and closing his eyes. He could feel the effects of the anti-botics coursing through him, sapping his energy as it combated the infection still raging through his body. There was a soft knock on the door and a young doctor entered, clipboard and pen in hand as he beamed at the two pilots.

"Good morning, gentlemen. And a very good morning to you as well Agent Yuy." The doctor flipped up a page on his clipboard, scanning it as he talked. "Needless to say, Agent, I'm very surprised you're awake right now. Your body needs to recover and the best way to do that is to sleep. I'll prescribe some medication for that."

Heero's eyes narrowed at the faint accent in the man's voice, then turned to Duo. "Where are we and where the hell is Sally?"

The doctor spoke up before Duo could, pushing up the glasses on the bridge of his nose. "You're in one of the new Preventer outposts located in Buenos Aires." He held out a hand. "Doctor William Able, your caretaker and, coincidently, surgeon." Able walked over to one of the cabinets on the far wall, opening it and pulling down a clear, plastic container. Inside was a long jagged piece of metal, red with blood. Able walked over, placing the container on the bedside table next to Heero. "Say hello to what nearly killed you, mister Yuy."

Heero examined it, surprised by how large it was. It was a wonder he hadn't died within a few days with something as large as that in his side.

"A few minutes more and you would most likely have died on the table." Able continued solemnly, "And there was a few close calls during surgery. I wouldn't recommend any strenuous activity for at least six months after your release from here, sir." He ran his pen down the list. "Would you like me to give you the full report?"

Heero didn't answer, just closed his eyes. Shrugging the doctor began to read. "All of your ribs are broken, both lungs punctured and damaged from smoke inhalation, your esophagus is burned, again from the smoke, hairline fracture in your upper right arm and lower left leg, concussion, fracture in your hip, dislocated shoulder, punctured stomach, and, by the way, acidic damage to your internal organs, your heart nearly ruptured from some sort of intense pressure on your chest…" the doctor looked up, "Shall I go on, or is that enough?"

Duo laughed. "Believe me, doc, we've been through worse."

Able frowned at Duo. "Yes, I spoke with Commander Une and she assures me that your friend here will undoubtedly make a full recovery." He replaced the papers on the clipboard before tucking it under his arm. "I'm happy to say, the surgery was a success. However, I'll ask that you not move around for at least a week. If you'd like to return home, I can arrange a medical transport."

Duo nodded. "That sounds great! The sooner we're out of here, the better."

Able sighed. "Of course. I'll contact Commander Une and let her know of your decision. The nurses will be checking in on you periodically, Agent Yuy." The doctor retreated from the room, gently shutting the door behind him. Duo waited until the door was firmly closed before jumping forward, his eyes bright with curiosity.

"So how did you get all those injuries, huh? I mean, you've been in worse than a plane crash and you've only had a broken bone or two. What happened?"

Heero opened his eyes, smirking at the curious American. "A very big snake."

Duo blinked then threw back his head and laughed loudly. "Are you serious? The great Heero Yuy taken down by a snake. Ha!"

There was a timid knock on the door, and two pairs of eyes swung towards the noise as the door slowly creaked open. Relena leaned her head inside, gently smiling at the two pilots. Heero's eyes widened slightly in surprise.

"Relena…"

The young girl slowly entered the room staring at her recovering bodyguard from a distance. The slight flush in her cheeks and the unruly state of her hair told Heero that she'd most likely just woken up and quickly tried to make herself presentable. It irked him to think that she thought such an act necessary for him. At this point in time, after everything that had happened, he could honestly care less. Just the knowledge that she was safe and alive made her absolutely beautiful. Heero stared at her through deep Prussian eyes, silently beckoning her to approach.

Duo looked between the two before letting out an overdramatic sigh and stretching. "Well! It's been a long, strenuous night, and seeing that I've been up since dawn, I think I'll retire for my forty winks." He got up and walked by Relena with a smooth. "Hey Princess."

Relena turned before he could completely leave. "Thank you Duo, for coming after us."

The American shrugged. "It's no problem, Princess, just doin' my duty."

"But wasn't what you did…"

"Out of protocol?" Duo chuckled. "Damn right it was! Une is still yelling at Wufei for even agreeing to it, but we all know it's just hot air."

Relena gave him a hesitant smile. "Still, Duo, thank you for everything." She wrapped him in a short hug before releasing the slightly stunned pilot and taking his vacant seat at Heero's side. Duo took one last glance at the two before closing the door and heading off in search of an empty bed to sleep in.

* * *

Relena sat on the edge of Heero's bed, gently playing with his sheets as they sat in an uncomfortable silence. 

"Heero."

"Hn."

She sighed. This was going nowhere fast. "Heero…I'm not going to sit here and have you grunting and growling at me. I came all the way down here to see how you were doing."

Heero lapsed back into silence, his gaze shifting over her face. Sighing again, Relena scooted closer until he could reach out and run her hand over the stubble on his face. It felt good…and looked good. She smiled down at him.

"I think you should grow a beard Heero."

This caused the pilot to start, his eyes taking on an amused look. "A beard?" he echoed, an eyebrow quirking.

Relena nodded. "Maybe a goatee. It makes you look so dark and mysterious…unless you take as much care of it as you do your hair. Then you'll just look like a bum!"

Heero's lips turned up into a tiny smirk. "You don't think I take care of my hair?"

"Not a bit."

Relena gently pushed a few wispy strands from Heero's face, her smile gentle as she looked at him. Heero stared back intently, his eyes narrowed as he scanned her body for any obvious injuries. Relena smiled as she watched him look over her body.

"I'm fine, Heero. Thanks to you."

The pilot's eyes flicked up to her face before he turned his head away, a dark scowl on his face. "It was my fault you were ever in that position, Relena." He growled, furious with himself. "I should be court-martialed for nearly getting us both killed."

It was Relena's turn to scowl now as she stood up and crossed to Heero's bed, leaning over him and grabbing his chin so he was forced to look at her. "Correct me if I'm wrong, Heero, but did you not just get me out of the Amazon? And I distinctly remember you fighting a giant snake for my well-being, am I right?"

"Maybe…"

"Maybe?" Relena echoed, laughing softly, "You're such a little kid, Heero. Why can't you just admit it when you've done something good and not be so shy about it?"

Heero glared at her. "I am not a little kid."

Relena laughed again, sitting on the edge of the bed and reaching out to caress his face. Heero felt his body involuntarily shift closer to her touch, his head turning slightly and eyes sliding closed as he enjoyed the feeling of her soft, cool fingers playing against his fevered skin. His eyes opened as he felt the bed shift, his heart rate increasing as he noticed she was much closer, her beautiful eyes filling his vision.

_Beep…beep…beepbeepbeepbeep…_

He felt her warm lips against his own, moving in the actions of a tentative kiss, her hands coming around to the back of his neck in order to arch his face closer to her searching caresses. He slowly brought an arm up and around her waist, catching her completely off guard as he suddenly forced the top half of her body against his, claiming her lips in a searing kiss that surpassed the one the shared in the darkness of the jungle. They pulled away, breathing deeply as their lungs struggled for air. Relena leaned back slightly, placing her hands on either side of Heero's immobilized body.

"I'm sure that your doctor wouldn't approve of this. You are still recovering after all."

Heero's hand gently caressed her lower arm, his expression hard but his eyes soft. "I should be held responsible for all of what's happened."

Relena frowned at him, fully removing herself from on top of him and returning to her seat. She sat down with a small huff and a glare, staring at Heero as though she were debating whether or not it would be tactful to attack him. Heero stared back expectantly, waiting for whatever reaction she might have. Relena finally sighed, shaking her head.

"Why do you insist on becoming a martyr for everything, Heero?" she asked, "The entire world is begging to meet the 'man who survived the jungle'. The President wants a new photo-buddy for his campaign…Heero, right now, we're famous, not hated."

Heero stared up at the ceiling, glaring at the tiled patters that adorned it. He hated when she got that look…it was the same look she gave her opponents right before she set into them and completely ripped apart whatever arguments they had against her. He didn't want to be famous or popular or the most sought after man in the current media. He just wanted to go home and take what he rightfully deserved. Without a doubt, Une was well aware of his decisions…and if she brought that before the President, as was required by law, he'd be forced to appear before the government's tribunal and answer for it.

"Three people are dead because of me." He insisted, trying to justify it all.

"And two of them were terrorists." Relena quickly countered. "I heard what he said about the pilots. They were as guilty as well."

"I helped them."

"They would have killed me."

"You were nearly eaten."

"Heero!" Relena exclaimed in exasperation, "It was a snake…a _big_ snake. I can't name very many Preventers who can escape an Anaconda's grip and then kill it before I drown." She smiled. "Admit it, there's nothing you can come up with."

"I didn't follow protocols." Heero stated flatly, his tone leaving no room for argument. "I did not properly consult with you on the matters of a change in flight, I ignored the warnings of bad weather, and…" he paused, his look guilty. "And I took advantage of you. That alone is dishonorable."

Relena smiled at him, her eyes and face full of as much guilty as his. "Heero. Heero, listen to me…you did no such thing. I was as much a willing participant as you were and I'd do it again…I have done it again." She smirked when his head turned in her direction. "Don't you think I was taking advantage of you when I kissed you just now? In the state you're in a child could fight and beat you."

Heero snorted at this. "You seriously underestimate my abilities."

Relena laughed, "Only your romantic abilities." She reached out to brush aside the bangs that fell in front of his face. "When do you get to go home?"

"Transportation is being arranged now."

Relena shook her head, "Unfortunately, I have to stay here and assist with damage control…mostly the hurt feelings of the Brazilian government for being cajoled into giving up two of their newest helicopters." She smiled, "Une must have a way with words to convince the Representative of Brazil to sacrifice something like that."

Heero didn't say anything. He knew all too well how Une could trick you into doing things you didn't want to, just with a few words and flick of the wrist. She was tricking the pilots constantly, reminding them of oaths and 'favors' owed. She could be damned evil if she wanted to be. Heero felt Relena's hand on his cheek and turned his head into it, lifting the arm on his uninjured side to hold it in place. He wanted to ask for forgiveness for all that had happened these past several days…for his careless decisions, for putting her in danger, and for taking what he had no right to take. But the words just wouldn't form and he sought out her eyes with his own, hoping to convey the message through them.

Relena stared back, her eyes softening after a moment and she came to kneel beside his bed, her fingers tangled with his own. She brought it down and gently kissed the top of his hand, smiling as he started.

"You don't have to say it." She said softly, "I know and forgive you."

Heero frowned, pulling away his hand and struggling to sit up. Relena was instantly on her feet, preparing to push him back down but was stopped with a look from Heero. The young Japanese man swung his legs over the edge of his hospital cot, carefully lowering his feet to the ground and testing them to make sure they would hold his weight. As the tubing pulled at his skin, he reached down and removed the IV lines and the sensors from his chest, tossing them away even as the monitor began to alarm. He noted Relena's worried glance towards the door, but he could care less if the doctors walked in right now. He was going to be on his feet for this.

Reaching out and taking Relena's hand, he pulled her close against his body. There were footsteps down the hallway. He quickly lowered his head and whispered in her ear.

"Give me a chance…to do this properly." Taking her chin in his hand he lifted her face to his, smirking slightly as her eyes fluttered closed even before their lips touched. Her arms came up around him as the door burst open, admitting the gaggle of nurses, Doctor Able, and a bleary eyed Duo. Still Relena and Heero ignored them, lost in their own world and embrace. The medical team froze in shock, unsure of what to do until Duo let out a loud whoop of laughter.

"Way to go Heero!" he laughed. "Man, you progress fast!"

At this the couple broke apart, Heero staring over Relena's head, as the young politician glared around his form at the staring bystanders. Duo's laughter immediately stopped and with a gulp, backed out of the room. Sighing, Doctor Able turned to his nurses and ordered them out of the room, shooing them out side and closing the door.

"I don't have to tell you that strenuous activities won't make your recovery any easier." Able grumbled, walking over to the monitor and switching it off. "And the transport will be here in about an hour." He moved to the door before pausing and turning towards the still embraced couple. "Try to relax, Agent Yuy…believe me there's plenty more time in your life for other things."

As the door shut behind the doctor, Relena put her face into Heero's chest, her shoulders shaking. Heero looked down in surprise, confused as to why she was shaking. "Relena?"

When she pulled back, there was a smile on her face and tears of mirth running down her cheeks. Still laughing, she helped Heero back into the bed before crawling up next to him. "I can't believe that he though we were going to…" she shook her head. "I'm quite sure we're too early in this relationship for that."

Heero smirked, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her close. "When is it not too early?"

Stunning, Relena was silent, lifting her head to glare at him, her face in a mock frown. "Heero Yuy!"

"It was just a question."

Laughing again, Relena put her head down against his shoulder again, closing her eyes. They laid there, enjoying each other silence, reflecting on the physically and emotionally draining experience of the Amazon Jungle. There are still parts of the world that can never be tamed by man, they both knew that now. Areas that man, no matter how strong they were or how great the technology, would be turned away viciously by the rulers of the jungles and forests that remained as guardians.

Heero and Relena enjoyed each others silence, the warmth of the room lulling them to sleep. It would take more than a lack of experience to dissolve what was forming right now. Suddenly, Relena spoke the words that would have Heero attention for the rest of the evening and into the night.

"I'd say on the second date."

* * *

Deep within the Amazon Jungle, Leonardo slowly opened his eyes, groaning in pain. When he slowly sat up, he found himself wrapped in a blanket and shelter by the high thatched roof of a village hut. The shock on his face couldn't be more pronounced as the sounds and sights of a jungle evening rolled in through the open entry. Glancing around the hut, he recognized it as that of that Oxford brat…which meant he was still alive…which meant that he needed to get the hell out of here and report all that happened. No, his master wouldn't be please, but then again, he didn't care. He was sick of the jungle and sick of his mission. He wanted to go home. 

Tossing the blankets from his body with a slight wince, Leonardo stumbled to his feet, grasping the wound in his side. That bullet had come very close to killing him…indeed it should have but for his crazy luck. The initial injury had knocked him unconscious, and it was by pure miracle that they'd left him here under the care of the natives. His eyes scanning over the inside of the hut, he snatched up a long staffed spear, using it as a crutch to wobble his way from the hut and down the small flight of steps. He glanced towards where a bright fire was lit in the middle of the village, the inhabitants gathered around it laughing and sharing dinner together.

"Like one big happy family…" Leonardo spat before turning away and hobbling into the dark jungle. It was stupid, but at the moment his mind wasn't working as it should be. No, he was instead concentrating on his greatest escape from captivity and the shock that would echo around the world when people learned that Relena's would-be killer had escaped. He would rendezvous with his leader, and then, together, they would bring about their revenge on the two escaped targets.

Limping through the jungle, he noisily hacked his way into the dense thickness, his eyes concentrating on the darkening ground. Perhaps he should have brought a torch of some sort to light his way…

_Snap!_

Leonardo whirled around, squinting into the darkness. He faintly heard the low growl that seemed to come from everywhere. Holding the staff out in front of him, Leonardo quickly turned in what he thought was the direction of the village, but the thick jungle had cut off even the faintest glow of light. He moved forward a few paces before pausing and looking about blindly. He couldn't see anything! It was pitch black and all the jungle was silent.

He turned at another snap and the feel of air rushing by as something moved past. The spear clattered from his sweating hands and, nervously, Leonardo bent to pick it up. His hand closed around the staff when he heard the harsh snarl and felt what seemed like razor sharp blades enter his back, an enormous weight pressing him down to the rotten jungle floor. He screamed in shock and pain as the blades were removed and then implanted into his back again. He swung backwards with his spear, catching it across a soft, velvety fur. The claws released him with another snarl and Leonardo tried to pull himself away from his attack, moaning in anguish. He could feel his wounds pulling with each move he made, causing a fiery pain to lance up his back. He barely made it a foot before the creature was back on top of him, the claws rolling him onto his back.

Leonardo let out one final scream before a mouth of razor sharp teeth latched onto his neck and shook him violently. Blood gushed from his mouth and Leonardo's last images of this world were a pair of piercing golden eyes filled with blood lust.

The master of the jungle finally had its meal.

* * *

_The End! At last I've finished Jungle Rot and as an added bonus (because it was a plotline I just couldn't resist) I'm going to post my next story very very soon in a double-duel master blaster event! Of course, that's very very soon after an update for "The Guardian". Thanks for sticking with me through out all of this, I appreciate it so much! I certainly hope you'll come back and read my other fics, but for now, farewell, my friends…fare thee well!_


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